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IN STORY- LAND 




IN STORYLAND 










IN STORY-LAND 


BT 

RUTH IRMA LOW 

TT 


ILLUSTRATED BY 

R. I. LOW 



BOSTON 

SMALL, MAYNARD AND COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright, 1920 

By SMALL, MAYNARD AND COMPANY 

INCORPORATED / 







SEP 29 1920 

©CI.A576636 


TO THE PUPILS 


OF THE 

EMERSON SCHOOL 

OF 

MALDEN, MASS. 



CONTENTS 


PAQB 

I. The Golden Cave 1 

II. Raggy Bear 14 

HI. The Dove and the Dragon 23 

IV. A Story of Bethlehem 30 

V. King Frog 33 

VI. Mrs. Brown Hen, Trouble Maker 42 

VII. The Old Iron Chest 47 

VIII. The Man in the Moon 55 

IX. The Magic Music Box 59 

X. The Guessing Stone 66 

XI. Little Gray Hen 77 

XII. Johnny Cross 86 

XIII. Morningdew 94 

XIV. The Three Roads 102 

XV. Mr. Brown Fox, Flatterer 109 

XVI. The Rose Fairy 117 

XVII. Little Black Rabbit Learns a Lesson . . . .128 

XVIII. A Child of the Forest 134 

XIX. The King and the Pig 139 

XX. The Sister Witches 147 

XXI. The Magic Toad-Stool 155 

XXH. Three Mice and a Pussy-Cat 158 

XXIII. The Prince Who Lived in a Tree 160 

XXIV. The Rabbit, the Fox, and the Spider . . . .167 

XXV. Lazy Boy 173 














IN STORYLAND 


THE GOLDEN CAVE 

In a far away land, many years ago, there dwelt in 
the midst of a deep forest, a poor woodcutter with his 
wife and their little boy, Hans. One day while Hans 
walked through the woods, he heard a wee voice at his 
feet calling, “Hans, dear Hans, save me.” 

The child looked all around, but he could see no 
one. Again he heard the cry, which seemed this time 
to be just beside him. Hans looked under a great 
rock which stood near a giant oak tree, and there 
caught between the rock and the earth was a tiny 
toad. “Dear Hans, save me, and I will never forget 
you.” 

Hans tried to move the great rock, but it was far 
too heavy for his little hands, and so he dug the earth 


1 


In Storyland 


away from both sides of the toad, and finally freed 
him. When the toad jumped out and shook himself 
free of the moss and earth which had almost covered 
him, he took from his neck a little wisp of grass to 
which was fastened a very little stone. “Keep this 
in your pocket,” he said, “and when you need me, 
unfasten the stone and throw it into the air. Then I 
will come.” 

Hans turned to answer, but his friend had disap- 
peared. Here and there the little boy stopped to 
gather wild flowers and ferns, and sometimes he found 
berries which he ate. Soon he heard a voice which 
seemed to come from above. It said, “Hans, dear 
Hans, save me.” 

Hans looked up in a tree and saw a big gray owl 
peering down at him. So Hans climbed the tree 
quickly, and saw that the poor owl had been caught 
by a broken branch of the tree, and so could not free 
himself. It took but a few minutes for the boy to 
lift the branch, and then the owl opened his eyes wide 


2 


The Golden Cave 


and said, “Take from my head a little gray feather. 
Keep it in your cap, and when you need me, blow it 
into the air and I will come. ,, Then the owl was 
gone. 

Little Hans came down from the tree and was just 
about to start for home, when a voice which seemed 
deep down in the ground said, “Dear Hans, save me.” 
In front of him there was a well, and looking down 
he saw a black rabbit struggling to climb up. But 
every time he climbed up the side, he slipped back 
again. Hans took from his pocket a kite string, 
and tied one end of it around his waist. The other 
he threw down to the rabbit. The little animal 
caught hold of the string and fastened it around his 
neck. Then Hans carefully lifted the rabbit up. 

The poor creature was so glad to be safe once more 
that he scampered away very quickly, but not before 
he had given the boy a checkeberry leaf and said, 
“When you need me eat this, and I will come to you.” 

By this time it was getting dark and Hans knew 


3 


In Storyland 


he must hurry home or his mother would be worried. 
So he turned about quickly, but in his haste he tripped 
over an old tree stump and fell into the very well 
out of which he had taken the rabbit. 

He went down, down, down till it seemed as if he 
would never reach the bottom. Suddenly he saw 
a huge trap door, which opened to let him enter. 
Hans knew that he was now in the wonderful Golden 
Cave, which his mother had so often told him about, 
but which she said was inhabited by elves and witches. 
Everything was made of gold. The cave was very 
large, almost as large, Hans thought, as his whole 
house. 

Just as he was looking about to find a place to 
rest, for he was very tired, a wicked looking old 
woman who he knew must be a witch, appeared 
before him. She did not speak at first, but motioned 
for him to come to her. Although he was much 
afraid, Hans went to her and said, “Please ma’am, 
I have lost my way, and I should like to go home.” 


4 


The Golden Cave 


But the witch only answered, “Who conies to the 
Golden Cave stays forever. You have no home now 
but this. But if you are a good boy, and do as I 
say, I will see that no harm comes to you.” 

Poor little Hans wanted very much to cry, but he 
thought that this would displease the witch, and so 
he only said, “I will try to be a good boy.” Then she 
told him that he was to be her page, and that he 
would do most of her errands. 

It had been a long time since Hans had eaten any 
food, and he was very hungry. The witch seemed to 
know this, for she said, “Go to the end of the cave 
where you see the blue light. Knock at the door 
twice, and an elf will appear with your supper.” 

So Hans did as he was told and soon saw before 
him the tiniest man all dressed in red and gold. He 
ushered the boy into a beautiful room which, like the 
rest of the cave, was made of gold, and which had 
huge golden lamps hanging from the ceiling. There 
were golden tables, and golden chairs, and even the 


5 


In Storyland 

dishes from which Hans ate were all of gold. 

Everything was all so wonderful and new and 
dazzling that Hans almost forgot where he was until 
a little elf came up and asked if he had eaten plenty, 
and if so he was needed by the witch. Then the elf 
showed Hans into another room which was more 
splendid than the last. In the middle was a beautiful 
fountain, and seated around it in golden chairs were 
a dozen elves playing the softest and most fairy-like 
music Hans had ever heard. 

The walls of the room were of glass, and outside 
there were flower gardens and trees and colored lan- 
terns. When Hans went to the witch she told him 
that she was to give a ball to the fairies that night 
and that he must stand at the golden gate at the 
other end of the cave and let in the fairies and elves. 
Then she gave him a bright red suit of clothes and a 
little red cap. These were trimmed with gold tas- 
sels and buttons and there was a gold sword to hang 
by his side. 


6 


The Golden Cave 


When Hans looked in the glass he hardly knew 
himself, so different were his clothes from the plain 
gray suit of homespun which his kind mother had 
made for him. His poor mother! She would be 
waiting and watching for him. And his father — 
soon he would go out into the dark forest and hunt 
for his lost boy. But he should never find him hid- 
den away in the Golden Cave. 

And now in spite of all the wonderful things he 
had seen, and the beautiful gardens and the dear little 
elves and everything in the cave, poor Hans was 
lonely and began to cry. Then he looked up at the 
witch and saw that she was cross, and he remembered 
her warning about doing as she said and being good, 
so he brushed away his tears and tried hard to smile. 

Soon the little elf who had shown him the way to 
the golden dining-room came and told Hans that it 
was time to go out to the gate. Just as he arrived 
at the golden gate he saw hundreds of the daintiest 
creatures one could imagine coming toward him. 
7 


In Storyland 

He knew that they were fairies. But before they 
entered the witch had found time to whisper a few 
words in Hans’ ear. “Remember that you are now 
my page, and that if you try to run away it will not 
be well for you.” Then she hurried into the cave 
and Hans knew that she had gone to meet her guests. 
Although the witch’s words made Hans very much 
afraid, he knew he must escape from this place. 

But he had to see that the gate was opened for the 
fairies to enter, and closed when they had gone in, 
and he was so interested in watching the wonderful 
things around him that he was satisfied to stay a 
while longer. For Hans had never seen a real fairy 
before. His story book at home had pictures of 
fairies and elves, but now Hans was in the same gar- 
den with real fairies and real elves. Each little fairy 
was no larger than Hans’ little finger. And each 
little elf was not very much larger. The elves wore 
brightly colored suits — some were red, some were 
green, and some were yellow or violet. Each had 
8 


The Golden Cave 


a hat to match his suit and he carried a sword at his 
side. 

And how beautiful the tiny fairies were in their 
pink and blue and white dresses! They had little 
wings on their shoulders, so that when they flitted 
through the grass they looked to Hans like the many 
colored butterflies he had so often played with in 
the forest. Now the fairies were dancing and the 
music sounded softer and dreamier than ever. 
Everybody seemed to be dancing, and Hans thought 
that this was his time to escape. Suddenly he thought 
of his friends in the woods who had promised to help 
him when he was in trouble. So he ran to the little 
room in the cave where he had left his homespun 
suit and quickly took from the pocket the tiny stone 
and wisp of grass and the checkeberry leaf. Then 
from his cap he took the little gray feather. 

It took but a minute to go back to the gate. For 
if the witch were to miss him what would she do? 
When Hans arrived at the gate he looked all around 


9 


In Storyland 


to see that no one was near. Then he unfastened the 
little stone and threw it into the air. Immediately 
the old gray toad appeared on the ground before 
him. “Little toad,” said Hans, “I am kept here 
against my will by an old witch who says I must 
stay forever. But I must go home to my mother. 
Can you help me?” Then the toad hopped about, 
and winked one eye, and hopped about again. “Call 
the big gray owl and ask him to fly to the top of the 
White Pine tree in the middle of the forest. From 
there he can look around till he sees the Lake of 
Sleeping Water. He must get three drops of the 
water and carry them to me. I will wait till the old 
witch sleeps and then I will put three drops of water 
in her mouth. This will make her sleep soundly for 
one hundred years, and you can easily run away while 
she is asleep.” 

So Hans blew the feather high up into the air and 
down flew the Big Gray Owl. “Dear Gray Owl,” 
said Hans, “the wicked witch is keeping me here 


10 


The Golden Cave 


a prisoner. Will you help me to escape?” The Big 
Gray Owl blinked and looked very wise and said, 
“ I will fly to the top of the White Pine tree in the 
middle of the forest. From there I will look around 
till I see the Lake of Sleeping Water. I will get 
three drops of the water and give them to the toad. 
But first you must call the Black Rabbit and ask 
him to go home and send your father and mother here 
to live in the Golden Cave instead of the wicked 
witch.” 

Hans ate the checkeberry leaf, and in a second the 
Black Rabbit hopped across the ground and sat up 
on his hind legs in front of Hans. “Dear Rabbit,” 
Hans said, “will you go to my home in the dark 
forest and show my father and mother the way to 
the Golden Cave?” The Black Rabbit didn’t say 
a word but scampered off to the house in the forest 
in search of the boy’s parents. 

Before long the Gray Owl came flying back from 
the Lake of Sleeping Water with three drops in a 


11 


In Storyland 


tiny acorn shell. This he gave to the toad. The 
toad hopped about and winked one eye and hopped 
about again. Then he went into the room where 
the old witch was sleeping in her golden bed and put 
the three drops of sleeping water in her mouth. The 
woman went into a deep sleep which was to last one 
hundred years. 

Then the Black Rabbit came back bringing with 
him Hans’ father and mother. They were so glad 
to see their child again that they took no notice of 
where they were until a beautiful lady appeared 
before them. She told them that she was the Queen 
of the Fairies and that she lived near the forest. 
She said that many years ago the man who owned 
the Golden Cave had been bewitched by an old woman. 
“The old woman was the witch who has just gone to 
sleep,” she said, “and the man who owned the cave 
was Hans’ great grandfather. The cave could not 
be given back to the right person until some member 
of his family entered it. You must take the cave. 


12 


The Golden Cave 


for it is yours,” she said to Hans, “and you will have 
elves and fairies for your servants and neighbors.” 
Hans was so astonished that he could hardly speak, 
but when he realized just where he was, and what 
had happened, he thanked the kind Fairy Queen for 
what she had told him. So Hans and his parents 
lived very happily for many years in the Golden Cave, 
and for his pets he had a little toad, a gray owl and 
a black rabbit. 


13 


RAGGY BEAR 


In a far away country, long ago, there was born 
a dear little boy, the son of a king and a queen. He 
was called Princeling by all the people, and they 
loved him dearly. In the same kingdom, there lived 
a cousin of the king, who was called Nador, and 
Nador was a wicked man. 

When Princeling was two years old Nador made 
plans to steal into the palace and carry the boy away. 
Nador knew that when the king died he would be the 
next ruler, provided Princeling could be sent into 
another country. Of course the king and queen 
never thought that anyone could wish to harm their 
boy, and not knowing what a wicked man Nador 
was, they loved him and often invited him to their 
palace. 

One dark night when the king and the queen and 
the lords and ladies were having a ball in the palace, 


14 



“RAGGY BEAR CARRYING PRINCELING.” 



















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Raggy Bear 


Nador slipped in the door, unseen by anyone, and 
stole softly up the stairs and into the room where 
Princeling lay sleeping. He took the boy in his 
arms, and went out of the palace without letting 
anyone see him. 

Then he went into the dark woods surrounding 
the palace and quickly made his way through the 
thicket. The little prince slept soundly for some 
time in the man’s arms, but when Nador began to 
hurry, for fear of being overtaken, the little fellow 
awoke and cried loudly. 

Nador tried to stop the child’s cries, but all in 
vain. Suddenly they both stumbled into something 
big, and soft, and shaggy. It was a great brown 
bear. They all bumped together so hard that the 
baby fell to the ground. It frightened Nador very 
much when he realized that this great, dark thing 
was a real live bear, and so he ran away as fast as 
ever he could go, leaving poor little Princeling on 
the ground in front of the bear. 


15 


In Storyland 


Now in this forest there were good bears and bad 
bears, and kind bears and cross bears, but this one 
was a good bear, and he was called by all the animals, 
Baggy Bear. Raggy Bear looked down at the 
ground and saw the little bundle. He couldn’t tell 
just what it was because it was so dark, but when 
Princeling started to cry again, Raggy Bear knew 
that it was a real live baby. Of course he had no 
way of knowing it was a prince, but Raggy Bear 
didn’t care exactly who it was. He had made up his 
mind then and there that he would take the baby 
home to his den and take care of him. 

So he bundled up Princeling and carried him 
straight home to Mrs. Raggy Bear, who had a nice 
fire all built, for the night was cold. Mrs. Raggy 
Bear opened her eyes in astonishment when she saw 
the dear little blue-eyed baby. The two little Raggy 
Bears, Black Raggy Bear and Brown Raggy Bear, 
were sound asleep in the cradles which Mr. Raggy 
Bear had made for them. 


16 


Raggy Bear 

He gently lifted Brown Raggy Bear without 
waking him, and covered the inside of the cradle 
with some nice soft moss, and put little Princeling 
where the cub had lain. Then he put Brown Raggy 
Bear over in the corner on some dry leaves. 

The little prince slept as soundly as if he were 
at home in his own crib. The next morning the two 
baby bears were awake bright and early helping their 
mother to do the work. They were such wee bears 
that they couldn’t help very much, but Mrs. Raggy 
Bear let Brown Raggy Bear put some milk over 
the fire to heat, and Black Raggy Bear set the plates 
on the table for breakfast. 

All of a sudden Black Raggy Bear stood up on 
his hind legs and gave a loud grunt. Then his brother 
ran over to see what was the matter. There in Brown 
Raggy Bear’s cradle was such a funny object! 
Black Raggy Bear touched it gently with his paw 
to see if it would move. 

Just then Princeling awoke and saw the two queer 
17 


In Storyland 


shaggy things looking right down into his face. But 
he wasn’t frightened one bit. He thought they were 
big woolly dogs like his own, and so he put out his 
fat chubby hands and patted first one bear and then 
the other. This quite delighted the two baby bears, 
for they had never felt anything on their faces half 
as soft as Princeling’s tiny hands. 

Soon Mr. Raggy Bear told the cubs what had hap- 
pened the night before, and how he had found the 
baby that the bad man had left all alone in the woods. 
Mrs. Raggy Bear said that the man must surely be a 
robber, and that the child could not be his own, for 
who would leave such a darling boy to the mercy of 
the animals of the forest? 

And Mr. Raggy Bear said that he would try and 
find out from the other animals who the baby was, 
so that he might return the child to his parents. 
Little Brown Raggy Bear cried hard when he heard 
this, and begged his father and mother to keep their 
little pet always. 


18 


Raggy Bear 


Mrs. Raggy Bear named the baby Bright Eyes, 
for she said his eyes were always as bright as the stars. 
But none of the bears or the wolves or the foxes knew 
who Bright Eyes really was, so he kept on living 
with the Raggy Bears. 

Now it would seem funny for your little baby 
brother to live day in and day out in a cave with four 
bears, but these bears were so kind and gentle and 
good that Princeling loved them dearly. He used to 
go walking every fine day with Brown Raggy Bear 
and Black Raggy Bear, and they caught hold of his 
hands as if he couldn’t walk alone. They were very 
careful lest he should fall because he was very tiny. 

Mrs. Raggy Bear wouldn’t let the cubs stray far 
from home, because she said one never could tell just 
what might happen in that forest. So they always 
stayed quite near the cave where they lived. 

Five years had passed and little Bright Eyes was 
still living with Raggy Bear and his family. Bright 
Eyes was now a boy of seven years and so he often 


19 


In Storyland 

wandered alone in the woods. He liked to pick 
berries and carry them back to Mrs. Raggy Bear. 
She could make such delicious berry puddings, and 
Bright Eyes could pick berries much faster than the 
Raggy Bears could. 

One summer day when Bright Eyes was in the 
woods alone, he heard a noise in the distance. He 
looked up and listened, and soon saw a man riding 
a snow-white horse coming toward him. When he 
was quite near the man drew in his horse and asked, 
“What is your name, my child?” And the boy an- 
swered “Bright Eyes.” Then he asked the boy 
how he had come by the gold chain on his neck, and 
Bright Eyes answered that it had always been there. 

Then the man jumped down from his horse and 
looked a little more closely at the chain: Then he 
started in surprise. “You are my son,” he exclaimed, 
“my dear Princeling.” For it was no other than 
the king who spoke. 

But Bright Eyes only looked at him for a long 


20 


Raggy Bear 


time and said, “I have no father but Raggy Bear. 
Come with me and I will show you where I live.” 
So the king took Bright Eyes by the hand, or rather 
Bright Eyes took the king by the hand, and led him 
to the home of the bears. 

Raggy Bear soon told the king how he had come 
upon the man and the baby in the forest one night 
so long ago, and how he had cared for him since 
because he had no way of knowing to whom he be- 
longed. Then the man told Raggy Bear who he was. 
Just then Mrs. Raggy Bear came up bringing the 
clothes Bright Eyes had worn the night he was found. 
These the king recognized, and in a moment he had 
clasped Princeling in his arms. He told him about 
the cruel man who wanted to be king in his place, 
and how he had stolen his son away. 

Then Bright Eyes knew he was a prince and must 
go to the palace to live. But he was sad when he 
thought of leaving Raggy Bear and the others with 
whom he had been so happy. The king knew this, 
21 


In Storyland 


and said that the bears had been so kind to his son 
that he must take them to the palace to live, too. 

So the king and Princeling and the four Raggy 
Bears all went back to the palace and told the queen 
the strange story. The queen was so delighted that 
she hugged Princeling very hard, and she ordered 
a splendid house to be built in the palace yard for 
Raggy Bear and his family. And Princeling played 
every day with Black Raggy Bear and Brown Raggy 
Bear, and they never heard from cruel Nador again. 


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“THE DOVE FLEW AWAY FROM THE CASTLE.” 


THE DOVE AND THE DRAGON 


Years and years ago, there lived in a castle a king 
and queen with their only daughter, the princess. 
She was the most beautiful princess in the kingdom, 
and she was so good and kind that everybody loved 
her. 

In the next kingdom, there was a cruel dragon, 
who could change himself into any shape he wished. 
Sometimes he took the form of a snow-white horse, 
again he would change himself into a huge lion, and 
he once became a great eagle, and soared high above 
the people. 

Now, when the dragon heard of the beautiful prin- 
cess, he resolved that she should be his wife. The 
king and queen feared that the dragon would carry 
away their daughter and so the king ordered an im- 
mense wall to be built around the castle and stationed 
guards at the gate, so that the dragon could not enter. 


23 


In Storyland 


One day, as the princess was walking in the garden, 
she saw a pretty white dove fluttering in the grass 
near where she walked. She ran quickly and caught 
it up in her arms. The poor little dove had fallen and 
broken its wing, and so could not fly. 

Then the kind princess carried the dove into the 
castle and tenderly cared for it. She became very 
fond of her little pet, and nursed it until its wing 
was healed. 

One day when the princess went to feed the dove, 
she was greatly surprised to find that it was gone. 
One of the servants had seen the little dove flying 
away over the castle. The princess cried bitterly, 
for she had learned to love her little pet. 

And as the days went on, she grew more and more 
lonesome, and she longed to see the dove once more. 

Now it happened that the soldiers who guarded 
the castle gate fell asleep one night, and while they 
slept, the dragon came in. He had changed himself 
into a beautiful prince and he stole into the room 


24 


The Dove and the Dragon 

where the princess lay sleeping. He took her in his 
arms, and carried her away to his home. 

The dragon lived in a splendid castle which over- 
looked a winding river. When the princess awoke 
she was greatly frightened and she could not imagine 
what had happened. Surely this was not her castle! 
Then the prince came and told her that he was the 
dragon, and that he would have to take the form of 
a horse or a lion or some other animal for one hun- 
dred years. But after that time he would again 
be for all time the wonderful prince whom she then 
saw. 

He said that once upon a time he had lived there 
with his father, who was a king, but a cruel witch had 
cast a spell over the castle, and had changed the 
prince into a dragon. One day in each year he was 
allowed to be the prince, but at all other times he 
must be either the dragon or an animal. 

Then he asked the princess to become his wife. 
But just at that moment, instead of the handsome 


25 


In Storyland 


prince, he became a hideous dragon with the head 
of a lion and the body of a man. The poor princess 
wept bitterly, and said that she could never marry 
the dragon, even though he would again change into 
a prince in one hundred years. 

So the wicked dragon said that he would burn the 
king’s castle and banish the king and queen. Now 
the princess loved her parents dearly, so in order to 
save them she promised to marry the dragon. 

Their wedding was then set for the following 
day. That night as the princess lay awake crying, 
because she was so unhappy, she heard something 
fluttering near the window. She raised the window 
very cautiously, because she feared that the dragon, 
who was in the next room, might hear her. 

There outside the window was the dear little dove 
which she had cared for so tenderly, when its wing 
was broken. “Dear princess,” whispered the dove, 
“you must not marry the dragon tomorrow. He has 
been bewitched, but he will never become a prince 


26 


The Dove and the Dragon 


again. Once, long ago, he was a prince, but he was 
so wicked and so cruel that a witch changed him into 
a dragon, and a dragon he will always be. He has 
the power of changing himself into an animal, but the 
witch gave him the power of changing himself into a 
prince on only two days in all the one hundred years. 
Yesterday and today he has been the prince, hut he 
can never be one again.” 

The princess listened eagerly, and then she told the 
dove how the dragon had threatened to bum the castle 
and send away her father and mother, and that in 
order to save them, she must marry on the next day. 
But the dove answered, “The wicked dragon is now 
sleeping soundly and cannot protect himself. I will 
fly to your castle. There I will see the king and tell 
him your story. He will summon all the soldiers 
within the castle walls and before daybreak they will 
seize the dragon and restore you to your parents.” 
The princess was so overjoyed that she took the little 
dove in her arms, and kissed it many times. 


27 


In Storyland 


Soon the dove flew away and the princess stayed at 
the window to watch for the coming of the king’s 
soldiers. Just at daybreak the doors of the dragon’s 
castle were forced open, and the dragon himself was 
taken a prisoner by the king’s soldiers. 

When he saw so many men, he changed himself 
into an enormous eagle, but the soldiers immediately 
surrounded him, and he could not escape. Then he 
became a huge lion, but the soldiers, with drawn 
swords, circled about him and he was overcome. 
Finally he changed himself into a terrible monster, 
with a head like a great wolf and the body of an 
enormous snake. 

But this time a soldier with one stroke of his sword 
killed the wicked dragon. Immediately, the dove, 
which was flying about the room, alighted on the 
throne where the dragon had been sitting. But now 
instead of a dove, he was the finest prince the soldiers 
had ever seen. 

And then he called the princess to him and she sat 
28 


The Dove and the Dragon 

beside him on the throne. He told her how he had 
been made a prisoner by the dragon and had been 
changed into a dove. Only when the dragon died 
could the prince become himself again, and the throne 
was rightfully his, since his father, the king, had been 
killed by the dragon. 

Not long afterwards, the princess married the real 
prince, who later became the king, and they never 
tired telling the story of the dove and the dragon. 


29 


A STORY OF BETHLEHEM 


More than nineteen hundred years ago, the little 
Christ Child was born in a stable at Bethlehem. He 
was to be the King of all Kings, and the Saviour of 
the world. 

. Not far from the birthplace of the Christ Child, 
there lived a poor shepherd and his only son, a little 
boy named Nyzra, who had been blind from birth. 
And when little Nyzra heard the shepherds tell of the 
wonderful child who was to rule the world, he wished 
that he might visit Him. 

But Nyzra’s father’s watched his flocks all day 
long, and so he could not take his son. One day some 
children who lived nearby came and told the little 
blind boy that they would lead him to the place where 
the Christ Child lay in His crib. 

Nyzra had heard of the three wise men who came 


30 


A Story of Bethlehem 

from the East, bringing their gifts of gold, frankin- 
cense and myrrh, and he longed to bring an offering 
to the new-born King. But the boy’s father was so 
poor that he could afford to give nothing. 

The child, however, thought of his little pet lamb, 
a tiny creature which was too young to go into the 
fields with the flocks. This was the only plaything 
Nyzra had, and although he was sad at the thought 
of parting with his only pet, he was glad to have an 
offering to bring with him. 

The children led the way to the infant Saviour’s 
crib, and little blind Nyzra entered the stable, carry- 
ing the lamb in his arms. It is said that when the 
Christ Child saw the little white lamb, he stretched 
out his tiny arms toward it, and in doing so his hands 
touched the eyes of the blind boy. 

At that moment the boy opened his eyes wide, and 
to the great wonder of all those about him, he could 
see. 

Then Nyzra and the other children knelt around 


31 


In Storyland 


the crib, and in their own simple way, paid homage 
to the Baby King. And when the shepherds of Beth- 
lehem heard the wonderful story, they said to each 
other, “The King of Kings is indeed with us.” 


32 

















* 





























“ KTNG FROG LIVED ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE.” 


KING FROG 


On the bank of the river Nile, which flows through 
the wonderful country of Egypt, there sat one day in 
the sun, a large green frog. He was known to all in 
frog-land as King Frog, for he ruled over all frogs. 

In those days, animals and all living creatures could 
speak, and King Frog very often spoke aloud to him- 
self. On this particular day he was saying, “King 
Frog, you are the wisest and most learned frog on 
earth. Small wonder that you should be chosen to 
rule over all the frogs. No one could rule more 
wisely than you. There was never a question a frog 
could ask that you could not answer.” 

As the vain frog thus sat priding himself on his 
wonderful knowledge and wisdom, he was suddenly 
seized, placed in a large dark box, and thrown into 
the river. 


33 


In Storyland 


It took several minutes for the haughty frog to 
realize what had happened, but he knew now that he 
was floating down the great stream. If only he could 
escape from this terrible place how happy he would 
be! Surely this must be a punishment for his great 
pride. But there he was, the king of the frogs, help- 
less and alone. 

When he had been in the water for several hours, a 
man came by in a boat. Seeing the box floating 
down the river, he reached out his hand and pulled it 
into his boat. 

He lost no time in opening it, thinking that it 
might contain some treasure. But alas, he was 
greatly disappointed when the ugly green frog 
jumped out. The man, whose name was Naru, be- 
came very angry when he saw the frog, and would 
have killed him with a single blow of his hand. But 
the poor creature said in a piteous voice, “Kind sir, 
only spare my life, and I will reward you richly.” 

But the man only scoffed and said mockingly, “And 


34 


King Frog 

how can you, a silly green frog, reward me?” Then 
the frog answered, “I am the king of all the frogs, 
and I live in the river Nile. In my palace there is a 
box of gold which is yours if you set me free.” 

Now the Egyptian didn’t believe one word the frog 
said but he put the frog in the river, and continued 
on his way. The next morning Naru went out again 
in his boat. He had gone but a short distance when 
he saw King Frog before him. True to his word, he 
had with him the box of gold which he had promised 
to Naru. 

Since he was very poor, Naru was delighted to see 
the box, which he opened and found full of shining 
yellow gold pieces. Soon King Frog began to speak. 
“This is the reward which I promised you for saving 
my life,” he said. “Though you may spend all the 
gold this box contains, a hundred times and over, yet 
it will be always filled to the brim. There is one 
thing you must do, however. Every time you take 
a gold piece from the box, you must bow and say, 


35 


In Storyland 


‘King Frog, the wisest frog in all the world, has 
given this to me.’ ” 

“And must I say this for every gold piece I take 
from the box?” questioned Naru. “Yes,” replied the 
frog, “and make sure that you do. For unless you 
say these words, more gold will not appear when you 
take some away.” 

King Frog soon jumped back into the river and 
was out of sight in a very short time. Then Naru 
went home quickly, and joyfully showed the box of 
gold to his brother, Arram, with whom he lived. 

Arram listened eagerly to the story of King Frog 
and his gold, and secretly made up his mind to have 
some of the treasure, too. So when his brother went 
out into the boat again, Arram stole into the room 
where the wonderful box was kept and took out a 
handful of gold. He tried and tried to remember 
the words he should have said to make more gold come 
in place of that which he took, but he had forgotten 
them. Then he went off to spend his money. 


36 


King Frog 


Every morning Naru would take whatever gold he 
needed during the day and for every gold piece which 
he took, he bowed and said, “King Frog, the wisest 
frog in all the world, has given this to me.” By this 
time he had become very rich, and he lived in ease and 
comfort, for every time he took gold from the box, 
more would appear in its place. 

Naru’s brother had not been home for a long time 
and no one had seen or heard from him. But when 
he had spent the handful of gold he had taken from 
his brother, he decided to come back and get more. 

So back he came to the house where he had always 
lived, and after making sure that no one was at home 
he went in. Naru had gone to a distant city to re- 
main for some time, and he had carefully hidden the 
box of gold where he was sure no one could find it. 
But Arram knew every nook and corner and hiding 
place in the house and before long he discovered the 
treasure. 

There it was filled to the brim with shining gold. 
37 


In Storyland 


Arram emptied the gold pieces into a sack, not leav- 
ing one in the box. Since he didn’t know the words 
he should have said, none of the gold was replaced. 

So wicked Arram went off with his booty, wonder- 
ing what his brother would say when he came home 
and found the box empty. 

In a few days Naru returned, bringing with him a 
great many costly treasures he had bought in the 
places he had visited. He had spent all the gold he 
had taken with him, because he knew it would be easy 
to get plenty more when he came home again. 

But what was his astonishment on going to the box 
to find it empty! And as he had not one gold piece 
left, the box could never be filled again. Poor Naru 
in his despair repeated over and over again the words 
which King Frog had taught him, but all in vain. 
So he was obliged to be a poor boatman again and 
spend his days on the river. 

One day as Naru sat in his boat thinking of the 
strange things which had happened to him during the 


38 


King Frog 


past year, he heard a splash nearby, and looking 
down, he saw his friend, King Frog, sitting on the 
edge of the boat. 

King Frog asked him how it happened that he, a 
rich man, should be dressed as a simple boatman. 
Then Naru told about his going away on a visit, and 
coming home only to find every piece of his gold 
gone. 

Then King Frog said in a haughty tone, “Once 
more I will give you the box which I have taken 
from your house, but because you were so careless the 
last time you had it you must now hang it around 
your neck, so that you will not lose it again. There 
you must always keep it, and I will sit on it, lest you 
be careless again. And whenever you meet your 
friends you must say, “This is King Frog, the wisest 
frog in all the world, and it is he who has given me 
this gold.” 

Now Naru disliked very much to do this silly thing 
for he knew that his friends would laugh at him and 


39 


In Storyland 

ridicule him, but he wanted the gold so much that he 
promised to do as the frog wished. 

When Naru tied the box of gold around his neck 
it was so heavy that he could not walk without bend- 
ing under its weight. And King Frog laughed to 
see poor Naru struggling as he moved about. 

Soon Naru saw all the people staring at him and 
the box and the frog, saying at the same time, “Naru 
has gone crazy.” Then they would pass on, laugh- 
ing at him all the while. 

For three days the man carried the box and the 
frog with him, and spent much of the gold. But the 
box was always very heavy, for as fast as he spent 
the gold, more would appear in its place. 

At the end of the third day Naru decided he could 
stand it no longer. Down he went to the bank of the 
river. Unfastening the box from his neck he flung 
both King Frog and the box of gold far out into the 
river, saying as he did so, “You may take your gold, 
King Frog, and keep it forever more. A boatman’s 
40 


King Frog 


life is good enough for me, and never again shall I 
wish for gold.” 

And to this day King Frog sits in the sun on the 
bank of the river Nile, and some day, if you should 
happen to visit the wonderful country of pyramids, 
you may see King Frog sitting in his accustomed 
place and telling himself of his wonderful wisdom. 


41 


MRS. BROWN HEN, TROUBLE-MAKER 

One fine autumn day when Farmer Jones had 
taken all his family to the fair, and had left all the 
cows and horses and hens and chickens and ducks to 
take care of themselves, Mrs. Brown Hen started to 
do some thinking. 

She said to herself, ‘‘Why should we foolish 
creatures stay penned up in this stupid farmyard 
when there is so much to see outside?” And the more 
Mrs. Brown Hen thought of this idea, the more dis- 
contented she grew. 

So about noon-time she said to Mrs. White Hen, 
“Let’s leave this dull place while Farmer Jones is 
away. We can run up the road and be far out of 
sight before he returns. We’ll get along ever so 
much better in some other place.” 

Mrs. White Hen thought this a splendid idea, and 
started along with Mrs. Brown Hen. Then they 


42 


“CHICKEN FLUFFY GOING TO THE PARTY.” 



Mrs. Brown Hen, Trouble-Maker 


gathered the chickens and ducks and ducklings and 
roosters. 

Next they went to the dog’s house and got Mr. 
Black Dog, who was only too glad to go along. 
After that they went to the bam and told the horses 
what they were about, and the horses took their places 
in line. 

Then Mrs. Mooley Cow was approached, and she 
said she had been waiting ever so long for a chance 
to get away. Last of all, they found Mrs. Gray Hen 
and Chicken Fluffy scratching for worms in a corner 
of the farmyard. 

When she heard of their plan she said, “This place 
is plenty good enough for me. You may go if you 
wish, but Chicken Fluffy and I will stay here and 
open the gate for you when you return.” 

But Mrs. Brown Hen, the leader of the line, said, 
“O you’ll never see us again, Mrs. Gray Hen. And 
just wait and see if you’re not sorry that you didn’t 
listen to me and come.” 


43 


In StorylanA 


But Mrs. Gray Hen was firm, and after wishing 
the travelers a pleasant journey, she went to work 
scratching for worms harder than ever. The pro- 
cession went toward the gate and found it closed, yes, 
it was realty locked so securely that they could think 
of no way to open it. Finally the horses and cows 
and Mr. Black Dog all pushed against the gate just 
as hard as they could, and in a very short time the 
gate was away out in the road, and all the farmyard 
creatures but Mrs. Gray Hen and Chicken Fluffy 
were on their way. 

Everything was so new and interesting at first that 
everybody was quite delighted and they praised Mrs. 
Brown Hen for her wonderful idea. They wondered 
what Farmer Jones would say when he came home 
from the fair, and found them gone. 

The foolish creatures walked down the long coun- 
try road for quite a while looking at everything about 
them. But by and by some of the little ducklings and 
chickens said that they were getting tired. 


44 


Mrs . Brown Hen , Trouble-Maker 


Soon Mr. Black Dog said he was hungry and that 
he was longing for the nice bone he had left at home. 
Mrs. Mooley Cow and Mrs. Jersey Cow said they 
would feel better if they could have a little nap, and 
Mr. Gray Horse said he wouldn’t go a step farther 
till he had some supper. 

“By the way, where are we going to get our supper, 
Mrs. Brown Hen?” asked Mrs. Mooley Cow. “I’m 
sure I don’t know,” answered Mrs. Brown Hen, very 
much ashamed. 

“Well, I do,” answered Mrs. White Hen. “I’m 
tired of all this nonsense, Mrs. Brown Hen. That 
grand idea of yours was no idea at all. I’m going 
home, and have my supper at Farmer Jones’. We 
were foolish creatures to leave home in the first place. 
Who’ll come back with me?” 

“I will,” said Mr. Gray Horse. 

“And I,” answered Mrs. Mooley Cow. 

“I’ll go too,” came from a chorus of tired chickens 
and hens and roosters and horses and cows. “About 


45 


In Storyland 


face,” said Mr. Black Dog. Everybody faced about. 
“Forward, march!” was Mr. Black Dog’s next com- 
mand. And every one of the tired creatures went 
back home again. But this time Mrs. Brown Hen 
was the very last in line instead of the first. 

So tired and weary, they arrived at home just be- 
fore Farmer Jones and his family drove into the yard. 
And to this day he doesn’t know how the fence was 
broken, and nobody in the farmyard will ever tell. 


46 


THE OLD IRON CHEST 


Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess 
named Primrose. She was so good and so beautiful 
that all who knew her loved her. Her father, the 
king, spent much of his time collecting old and rare 
jewels and pieces of furniture which had belonged to 
kings and queens in the ages past. 

One day, when he was visiting a shop where such 
curious things were sold, he saw in a corner an old 
iron chest which was covered with dust. He asked 
the shop-keeper where it had come from, and the man 
replied, “It has been here since I can remember, and 
the man who kept the shop before me said it once be- 
longed to a witch. No one can find a key to open 
it, so no one will buy it.” 

The king then asked what the shop-keeper would 
take for it, and the man answered that he would sell 
47 


In Storyland 


it for a few francs, as it was worth very little to him. 
Then the king ordered the chest sent to the palace 
and paid the shop-keeper his price. 

When the princess saw the old iron chest she was 
very curious to know what was inside of it. So the 
king bade his servants bring him all the keys from far 
and near that the princess might see what was in the 
chest. But each key that they brought was either too 
large or too small, and try as they would, they couldn’t 
budge the cover of the chest one bit. 

Then the king ordered his men to bring hammers 
and axes and bars and all kinds of tools, but still the 
chest remained shut tight. The king became more 
and more curious, and finally declared that whoever 
succeeded in opening the old iron chest might have 
the hand of the princess in marriage. 

Then princes and noblemen came from far and 
near to win the beautiful princess. But one after 
another returned to his native land after trying in 
vain to open the chest. 


48 



“THE KNIGHT WHO DARED.” 












The Old Iron Chest 


One day a young knight rode through the forest 
that led to the palace. He had fought in many 
battles and had done many daring deeds, and so he 
was known far and near as the Knight Who Dared. 
For two years he had been on his way to the palace 
where the old iron chest was kept. It seemed that 
he would never reach the palace, for there was always 
some duty to perform, or some task to be done for 
his countrymen, who depended on him to uphold their 
rights. 

The knight often thought of the beautiful princess 
and wondered if she would still be in the palace when 
he arrived, and if the chest had yet been opened. 

As he was wondering these things, he saw a poor 
old woman hobbling along the roadside, with an enor- 
mous bucket in each hand. In a moment the knight 
had jumped from his horse, and was by the old wom- 
an’s side taking the buckets from her. 

“My good woman,” he said, as politely as if he had 
been talking to a queen, “let me help you.” “I was 


49 


In Storyland 

going to the spring for water,” the old woman said. 
“It is too far for you to go,” she continued, “and it 
will delay you too much.” 

But the knight would not listen to these words, 
and, jumping on his steed’s back, was off in an instant, 
galloping back over the same road he had come a few 
minutes before. He rode for a long time, but he 
could see no spring by the roadside. But still he 
would not give up, for the poor old woman would be 
waiting for her two buckets of water. 

At last he came to the place where the spring was, 
but alas ! it had gone dry. But the knight had prom- 
ised the old woman that he would bring back some 
spring water, and he would not go back without it. 

Just then he saw a lovely maiden coming toward 
him with a bucket of water in each hand. She seemed 
the most beautiful maiden that the knight had ever 
set eyes on. In a moment she began to speak to him. 
“Sir Knight,” she said shyly, “the spring by the 
roadside is dry, but yonder in the yard of my cottage 


50 


The Old Iron Chest 


is a spring from which I have just taken this water.” 

Then the knight thanked her and she asked if 
he would not rest awhile at her cottage. But he re- 
plied that the old woman would be waiting for him 
to return and he was already very, very late. But 
he promised to come soon again and see the miller’s 
daughter and her father. So saying, he turned about, 
mounted his horse and started off once more. 

“Primrose,” he said to himself as he rode along, is 
the name of the princess, but never was there a prin- 
cess who could compare with the miller’s daughter. 
A true primrose is she, indeed.” 

And then the knight who had won so many battles 
decided that he no longer cared to win the princess — 
and as for opening the old iron chest — well, he would 
do that, for whatever the Knight Who Dared started 
out to do — that he must accomplish. 

It seemed but very short time before he again met 
the old woman for whom he had gone to the spring. 
She thanked him many times for his kindness and 
51 


In Storyland 


asked him to wait until she had brought something 
from the hut to give him. He would have hurried 
on his way, but she said to him, “You must wait, for 
this will mean much to you.” 

Then she hobbled away to her little hut among the 
trees, and soon returned with a very tiny box which 
she gave to him. At the same time she said, “I am 
the witch who once owned the old iron chest, and this 
is the only key in the world which will open it. You 
are the Knight Who Dares,” she continued, “and you 
have done many great and noble deeds. But in your 
busy life, and in your quest for happiness, you have 
always had time to help others. Even today, when 
others passed by me, a poor helpless old woman, you 
stopped and helped me. And now for your unselfish- 
ness, and for always being mindful of your duty to 
others, I give you this key. It will open the old iron 
chest, which contains the world’s treasures, and as a 
reward, you will have as your bride the fairest and 
most beautiful princess in all the world.” 


52 


The Old Iron Chest 


“But I do not want the princess,” the knight an- 
swered quickly, thinking of the miller’s daughter. 
The old witch said not a word, but smiled, for the 
witch was very wise, and knew many, many secrets. 
“Go on your way now, and do not delay, for it grows 
late,” she said to him, and the knight did as he was 
told. 

Before long he was ushered into the king’s presence, 
and the king gave him a royal reception, for who had 
not heard of the wonderful deeds of this brave knight? 
Soon the king showed him the room where the old iron 
chest was kept, and asked the knight to try and open 
it. The knight took from his pocket the tiny box 
containing the key, and he placed the key in the lock. 
Instantly the chest was opened, and there indeed was 
the world’s treasure. The most beautiful jewels that 
had ever been seen were there before their eyes. 

Diamonds and rubies and emeralds and topazes 
and sapphires that sparkled so that they dazzled the 
eyes of those who gazed on them. The king was 


53 


In Storyland 

delighted with the treasures, and stood admiring them 
for a long time. The knight was about to go, when 
the king said, “But you must now meet the princess, 
your future bride.” The knight started to tell the 
king that she could not be his bride, when suddenly 
the door opened and the princess stood before him ! 

The robes were the robes of the princess Primrose, 
but the beautiful face was that of the miller’s 
daughter. Then Primrose told the knight how she 
had disguised herself as a poor maiden and had taken 
the place of the miller’s daughter to see if the knight 
had really loved her. 

Then the Knight Who Dared knew why the old 
witch had smiled when he had said he did not want 
the princess. Shortly afterward Primrose and the 
knight were married, and for a wedding present the 
king gave his daughter all the beautiful jewels that 
were in the old iron chest. 


54 




THE MAN IN THE MOON 


Years ago, when the world was young, and when 
there were more fairies than people, there lived an 
idle man who spent most of his time laughing at what 
others said and did. He ridiculed his fellow-men 
so much that he was called “The laughing man.” 

It happened one day, that this man was walking 
through the woods when he saw a tiny ant building a 
house for himself. “Pray what is Mr. Ant running 
about in such haste for?” he asked. 

The little ant didn’t look up from his work, but 
kept moving about, busily doing his work. “O, I am 
building myself a fine house in which to live,” replied 
the ant. 

“Silly creature,” mocked the man, and he stood 
laughing at the poor little ant. Now the queen of the 
fairies happened to be nearby at the time and heard 


55 


In Storyland 


the conversation. Soon she appeared before the man. 

“Laughing man,” she said very kindly, “Do you 
ever grow tired of laughing at others?” The laugh- 
ing man only grinned a wide grin, but said not a 
word. 

Then the fairy went on, “Why do you not find 
yourself an occupation — an honest one — so that you 
will have something to keep you busy?” “And why 
should I do anything except wander about as I 
please?” questioned the laughing man. 

“Because you will be much happier busy,” replied 
the fairy queen. “Man was placed on earth to make 
himself and others happy, and the fairies were placed 
on earth to help make the mortals happy. I, the 
queen of the fairies, offer you my help and you re- 
fuse it.” 

But the man said that he was content to live the 
life he was then living, and started to walk away 
from the fairy. The fairy queen, however, gave him 
some advice before he left. “Besides watching over 


56 


The Man in the Moon 


men,” she said, “we also take care of the creatures 
of the forest. As their guardian, I must prevent 
you and all other mortals from interfering with their 
work, and most of all from laughing at them.” 
Without answering, the man left the fairy queen 
where she was standing and he laughed to himself 
as he went away. 

Not long afterward, a tiny lad was very busy mak- 
ing a hut in which to play. The laughing man, who 
was passing by stopped to look at the child’s work. 
When the boy said he was making a playhouse, the 
man laughed at the boy’s efforts, and the little fellow 
soon began to cry. 

Again the fairy queen appeared before the man 
and said, “Once more I have come to entreat you to 
give up your idle ways and live as other men do.” 
But the man only answered that he would not, and 
asked the fairy not to bother him again. And a 
second time he went away laughing at the fairy’s 
words. 


57 


In Storyland 

Finally the fairy queen followed the man and 
warned him not to molest children at their play, or 
she would cast a spell over him. But the man would 
not heed her warning and kept on going about 
among the people ridiculing their work. 

One day, not long after, while the fairy queen 
was passing through the forest she came to a busy 
little beaver working hard at the edge of a pond. 
Something seemed to trouble him, and on looking 
around, the queen saw the laughing man sitting on a 
log, and making fun of the little beaver’s work at 
building himself a home. 

“Three times I have found you laughing and scorn- 
ing my creatures,” she said, “and now I have come 
to you as I threatened, to cast over you a spell.” 

And quicker than the man could think, he was borne 
up from the earth into the clouds, and placed right in 
the middle of the moon. And there he sits to this 
day. Any night when the moon shines, if you look 
hard enough, you can see the man in the moon — still 
laughing. 


58 


THE MAGIC MUSIC BOX 


In a little town in the far-off country of Normandy, 
there lived a poor little boy named Carl. His parents 
had died and left Carl to take care of his little sister, 
Greta. The boy and girl lived happily together in 
their tiny cottage, and Greta kept the rooms bright 
and shining. 

One day as Carl was digging in his garden, his 
spade touched something very hard. Carl thought 
at first that it was a rock, but as he dug more earth 
away from it, he saw that it was a small box, which 
was nailed together hard and fast. “Greta, Greta,” 
he cried to his sister, and he ran with the box as fast 
as his legs could carry him right into the little kitchen 
of the cottage. 

On examining the cover they found printed these 
words: “THE MAGIC MUSIC-BOX. WHO 
59 


In Story land 


FINDS ME MAY KEEP ME.” Carl quickly 
found a hammer and worked until every nail had been 
taken out of the box. Inside was a music-box. As 
he took it out and placed it on the table, a tiny dwarf 
appeared before him and said in a high, squeaking 
voice, “Turn the handle once and wish, but be sure 
you wish wisely.” 

In a moment he had disappeared and Carl and 
Greta could only stare at each other in astonishment. 
Greta jumped up and down clapping her hands. 
They should no longer be poor, for they should ask 
the music-box to make them rich. But Carl said, 
“Remember the dwarf said to be sure and wish wisely. 
It might not be wise to wish to be rich.” But Greta 
begged so hard to wish to be rich that he turned the 
handle once and said, “I wish for gold.” Immedi- 
ately the box played the sweetest music the children 
had ever heard, and while it played, the room sud- 
denly became filled with gold. 

The table, the chairs, the stove, the floor, everything 


60 


The Magic Music Box 


was covered with gold. Then Carl and his sister 
piled up their money, but there was so much that 
they didn’t know what to do with it. So Greta said, 
“Wish for a castle with gardens and towers, and 
plenty of servants to wait on us.” 

Then Carl turned the handle of the magic music- 
box once more and said, “I wish for a castle.” He 
had no sooner uttered these words than the music- 
box played a sweet tune and at the same time the 
cottage was changed into the most beautiful castle 
one could imagine. There were gardens and towers 
and hundreds of servants to carry out every wish of 
the owners. 

Carl was no longer the simple boy who worked in 
the garden all day, and read stories to his little sister 
at night. Now he was a rich boy who owned a castle, 
and he must live like a prince. His sister was no 
longer the little girl who worked in the cottage all 
day long and listened eagerly to her brother’s stories 
at night, when their work was done. Greta must now 


61 


In Story land 


dress in silks and satins and live like a real little prin- 
cess. 

All this delighted the two children, and they lived 
day after day in the beautiful castle, with nothing to 
do but to wish for what they wanted. Since the 
music-box was the source of all their riches and all 
their pleasures, Carl ordered a golden chest to be 
made for the box to be kept in. He kept the golden 
chest in the highest tower of the castle, and the door 
was always locked, so that the music-box would not be 
stolen. 

They lived in the castle for about three years when 
Carl said one day, “All this is very fine, but I am 
tired of living here. I wish to live in a palace.” 
Greta said, “I too wish for something better.” So 
Carl went to the tower where the music-box was, and 
wished for a palace. He had no sooner wished than 
the castle was changed into a wonderful marble pal- 
ace, so magnificent that Carl could hardly believe it 
was real. 


62 


The Magic Music Box 


Then Greta and Carl entertained all the lords and 
ladies in the land, and had parties and feasts ’every 
day in the year. All this was very fine for a time, 
but Carl soon became tired of his palace, and he wished 
for a kingdom all his own. So he went to the music- 
box, which now played sweeter music than ever, and 
said, “I wish for a kingdom all my own.” 

So he became king of the land that he lived in and 
he ruled thousands of people. His palace was now 
a crystal one, and was known as the most wonderful 
one in the whole world. 

One day when he had been king but a few months, 
little Greta came up to his throne and sat beside him. 
She looked very, very sad, and when Carl asked her 
the reason she said that she was unhappy. In spite 
of all the riches and pleasures that were hers she al- 
ways longed for something better. 

So Carl said he would go to the music-box and 
wish for whatever she wanted. He said that he too 
was not content to sit on the throne and rule his people 


63 


In Storyland 

— he wished to live a different life. So he said to his 
sister, “What shall we wish for this time? There 
seems to be nothing left, for we have wished for 
everything.” Then the brother went to the golden 
chest and took out the magic music-box. Just as 
Carl set it on the table, the little dwarf they had seen 
long, long ago, appeared before them. “Wish for 
happiness,” he said in his high, squeaking voice, and 
he was gone before they could answer him. 

Then Carl turned the handle of his music-box and 
said, “I wish for happiness.” Almost before he had 
finished speaking, he found himself back in the little 
garden of the cottage where he had been so happy, 
and soon little Greta came running out to meet him. 

The magic music-box was still on the table, and it 
played sweet music while the children worked. And 
now whenever Carl wished for anything he remem- 
bered the words of the dwarf, “Be sure you wish 
wisely.” 

And his wishes were always for the poor people 


64 


The Magic Music Box 


of Normandy and for their happiness. In this life 
Carl and Greta lived for many years and thus they 
found real happiness. 


65 


THE GUESSING STONE 


Far, far away, in the midst of a great forest, stood 
a large, white stone. It was called the Guessing 
Stone, because on one day in each year a wood nymph 
appeared on the top of the stone and invited all who 
wished to guess the name of the stone. 

Whoever guessed the right name would be given 
a huge bag of gold by the nymph. Each year when 
the wood nymph appeared, people came from far and 
near to try their luck at guessing the name of the 
stone. But as far back as the people could remem- 
ber no one had ever guessed the right name, and so 
the nymph had disappeared each year with his treas- 
ure. 

Now it happened that a certain peasant named 
Bela, who had tried for many years to guess the 
name of the stone, at last succeeded. He had whis- 
66 


The Guessing Stone 


pered to the nymph, “I guess the name of the stone 
is ‘Honesty.’ ” And the nymph immediately drew 
from inside the stone a tiny bag, which grew larger 
and larger, till it soon became the size of a house. 
It was filled to the brim with shining yellow gold. 

Before Bela went home, the wood nymph made 
him promise that he would keep the name of the 
stone a secret, because he wanted to give the people a 
chance to guess again. When the people saw Bela 
and his gold, they tried harder than ever to guess 
the name. They thought and thought and won- 
dered what the name could be. But nobody else im- 
agined that the name could be “Honesty.” They 
thought it must be a very long, hard name. 

Bela and his friends dragged home the great bag 
of gold, and when Bela’s wife saw the treasure she 
danced and sang in high glee. Then a wicked idea 
seized her. “You have gold,” she said to her hus- 
band, “but you have not enough. Go dress yourself 
as a beggar, and limp like a lame man. Then make 
67 


In Storyland 


your way again to the Guessing Stone. The wood 
nymph will never know you, and you will bring back 
another bag of gold. Then we shall live in ease and 
splendor for the rest of our lives.” 

So Bela foolishly listened to his wife's words and 
went again to the Guessing Stone and guessed the 
same name. Again the nymph presented him with 
a bag of gold, which he started to carry home to his 
wife. But as he was dragging away the huge bag, 
he was so delighted at the thought of being so rich, 
that he forgot his disguise, and talked in his natural 
yoice. One of his neighbors recognized him, and 
ran back to the Guessing Stone where the nymph was 
still standing. 

The man told the story of Bela’s deceit, and im- 
mediately the peasants seized Bela and carried him 
back to the place where the stone stood. The wood 
nymph became very angry and with his little staff 
he knocked three times on the stone. 

All at once the stone divided itself in two parts 


68 


The Guessing Stone 

and from the middle of it appeared a huge giant, so 
tall that he towered high above the tallest oak tree 
in the forest. 

“I am the king of the forest,” he roared, “and the 
Guessing Stone and the gold are mine. The gold is 
for an honest man and this man is not one. Let this 
be a lesson to others.” And so saying he thrust out 
his great long arms, and seized Bela. 

Poor Bela! If only he had not listened to his 
wife’s silly words. Why could she not have been 
content with one bag of gold? But he had very 
little time to think of this, because the giant now 
held him tightly in his arms. Bela begged the giant 
not to kill him, and promised to be an honest man 
if only the giant would free him. But the giant only 
growled, “You are coming with me to my throne 
beneath the forest, then I will decide what to do with 
a dishonest man.” And hardly had these words been 
spoken, when the earth opened and swallowed up the 
giant and Bela. Down, down, down they went — O 


69 


In Storyland 


so far! Would they never stop going? It seemed 
hours before they saw light again, and then Bela 
knew that he was in the palace of the king of the 
forest. 

Everything was so large that Bela couldn’t help 
wondering if it had taken hundreds of years to build 
the palace and make the things in it. The giant 
quickly ascended the throne, where he spent much 
of his time, and then bade Bela sit on a chair in 
front of him. 

The chair was so large that Bela thought surely 
there would be room for six more men to sit beside 
him. Soon the giant began to talk. His voice was 
so loud that it seemed like thunder. Bela quaked 
and shivered, and wished he were thousands of miles 
away from the terrible giant. 

“You may live for three more days,” roared the 
giant, “and then I will throw you into the lake out- 
side my palace. Sometimes I keep men in my pal- 
ace and let them work for me, and they are con- 
70 


The Guessing Stone 


tented to live here for the rest of their lives, but you 
are a dishonest man, and I do not want you.” 

Then the unhappy Bela cried aloud to the giant 
to spare him, but the giant answered him only by 
bidding his servants to carry Bela to a room on whose 
door was written the words “A DISHONEST 
MAN.” There he remained for three days with 
nothing to eat and drink but bread and water. 

He knew that it was impossible to escape, because 
the walls of the room were of iron, and the doors and 
windows were locked and barred. Bela hoped and 
prayed that something would make the giant change 
his mind, but on the evening of the third day the 
poor man was seized and pushed into a sack. 

On the outside of the sack were printed these 
words, “A DISHONEST MAN.” Three men 
carried Bela through a long winding hall and out 
into the courtyard of the palace. The poor man now 
knew he was doomed to die, and indeed, the servants 
waited not an instant, but cast the sack with Bela 
71 


In Storyland 


inside right into the lake which was near the palace. 

Then something strange happened. The giant’s 
gardener happened to be rowing over the lake in his 
little boat, and hearing a loud splash, hastened to 
that part of the lake from where the noise seemed 
to come. Soon the sack appeared above water, and 
the gardener tugged and pulled until finally he got 
it in his boat. 

Bela was so overjoyed at being saved, that he cried 
aloud for thanksgiving. But the gardener had heard 
of the giant’s prisoner and said quickly, “Be still or 
the servants will come back and restore you to the 
giant.” This made Bela afraid, and so he grew very 
still. 

* 

It took but a short time to row to the opposite 
shore of the lake, where the gardener lived. Then 
he made the boat secure and lifted the sack contain- 
ing Bela onto the shore. He carried his burden into 
the cottage and while he was unfastening the sack he 
told his wife about the man he had found in the lake. 

72 


“THE MAN IN THE SACK.” 





» 



The Guessing Stone 


The gardener untied the cord around Bela’s neck 
and pushed down the sack so that he could step out 
of it. But he found to his amazement that he could 
not get Bela out of the sack! Tug and pull, and 
pull and tug as they would, the sack would come 
down no further than Bela’s waist. 

But the sack, although fastened securely about the 
man’s waist, was large enough so that Bela could 
walk, though he found it very awkward to do so. 
And worst of all, the words on the sack were in plain 
view, “A DISHONEST MAN.” 

Of course Bela could not stay long at the gar- 
dener’s cottage, for the giant might hear of his pres- 
ence there, and would send for him. So after eat- 
ing the supper which the gardener’s wife had pre- 
pared for him, he started out on his journey away 
from the giant’s lands. He found it very uncom- 
fortable walking with the sack all over his feet, but 
he was glad to be alive, after this awful experience 
with the giant, and so he made the best of his trouble. 

73 


In Storyland 


The next day, after many weary miles of tramp- 
ing, Bela arrived in a queer looking village with 
queerer looking people. They were dressed in gray 
homespun clothes, and wore large hats with high, 
pointed crowns. 

As they walked along the street, they looked sus- 
piciously at the man in the sack, and said aloud in 
horror, “A dishonest man.” And when he told them 
his story and asked for work they laughed at him, 
and mocked him and cried, “We have no room for a 
dishonest man.” 

So poor unhappy Bela wandered from place to 
place, always meeting with the same fate, and al- 
ways hearing the cries of the men and women, and 
even the tiny children, “A dishonest man.” 

Finally when Bela had been wandering about for 
two years he came to a little town where many of the 
people were sick with a fever. Bela built for him- 
self a tiny hut and resolved that he would stay and 
help take care of the poor people. 


74 


The Guessing Stone 


Day after day, he went from house to house at- 
tending to the sick, and working in their homes. He 
chopped the wood for their fires, and cooked their 
food, and helped them in every way. The poor 
people learned to love the old man who always went 
among them with his queer sack, and they blessed him 
for his kind works. 

After the people grew well again, Bela decided he 
must leave this little place and find, if he could, his 
wife and his old home. But how should he find them? 
As he sat in his hut one day thinking of his strange 
life, he heard some one whispering in his ear. 

The voice said, “Stand up.” Bela couldn’t think 
who was commanding him to do this, but up he stood. 
There in front of him was the little wood-nymph. 
“Walk,” said the nymph. Bela obeyed. But how 
differently he walked now. He looked down at his 
feet and to his surprise found that the sack was gone. 

“Come with me, and I will show you your home,” 
continued the wood-nymph. So Bela again obeyed, 
75 


In Storyland 


and in less time than it takes to tell, they were gliding 
up, up, up in the air as if being carried on the wings 
of a bird. 

When they finally alighted, they found themselves 
sitting right on the Guessing Stone and the wood- 
nymph was saying, “Here is the first bag of gold that 
I gave you. It is yours now, though the king of the 
forest took it away from your wife the day you be- 
came, ‘a dishonest man.’ But now you are an honest 
man. Take your gold and live as an honest man 
should.” 

So Bela went home to his wife, who could hardly 
believe her eyes when she saw him, for she feared that 
he was long since dead. Then the people told each 
other the wonderful story of Bela and his travels, 
and every year after that when the wood-nymph ap- 
peared on the Guessing Stone the people would say, 
“Let us remember the fate of Bela.” 


76 


LITTLE GRAY HEN 


Little Gray Hen lived in a farmyard with her 
brothers and sisters. She had never been outside the 
farmyard, bceause there was a high fence all around, 
and she really couldn’t get out. Farmer Jones had 
warned the hens and chickens not to go outside the 
fence if ever the gate was left open, because Mr. 
Brown Fox lived nearby and Mr. Brown Fox liked 
hens and chickens very much. 

Now, Mrs. Gray Hen wondered and wondered 
what was outside the fence, and she resolved to see 
whenever she got the chance. One day, when some- 
body had left the gate open, Little Gray Hen stole 
out and walked up the road. She meant to stay just 
a few minutes because the gate might be closed again, 
and then Little Gray Hen couldn’t get back again 
to her house. 


77 


In Storyland 


She hadn’t gone very far when she met Mrs. Yellow 
Cat, who used to live at the farm. “Good afternoon, 
Little Gray Hen,” said Mrs. Yellow Cat. “Where 
are you going this fine day?” 

Little Gray Hen said she had come out for a little 
stroll and must soon return, as it was getting late. 
“O, there is plenty of time,” said Mrs. Yellow Cat. 
“Come with me over the hill to Mrs. White Duck’s 
house. She is giving a grand party because it is 
Little White Duckling’s birthday, and we shall have 
a splendid time.” 

Little Gray Hen had never been over the hill and 
knew that she shouldn’t go now. But Mrs. Yellow 
Cat said, “There is nothing to fear, and only think 
of the delicious things we shall have to eat.” So off 
they started together. 

They had not gone far when Mr. Green Rooster 
put his head over the wall and said, “Good-day to 
you Mrs. Yellow Cat and Mrs. Gray Hen. Where 
are you going this fine day?” 

78 


Little Gray Hen 

“O, we are off to the party at Mrs. White Duck’s 
house. Come with us,” answered Mrs. Yellow Cat. 

And with a cock-a-doodle-doo and a twist of his 
head, Mr. Green Rooster flew over the wall and joined 
Mrs. Yellow Cat and Mrs. Gray Hen. While they 
were talking about the good time they were to have 
at the party, they heard a noise down the road behind 
them. Looking around whom should they see run- 
ning after them in great haste but Mrs. Gray Hen’s 
own little son, Chicken Fluffy. Now Mrs. Gray Hen 
scolded Chicken Fluffy for running out of the farm- 
yard, but he told his mother that he longed to see 
what was outside of the fence, and as someone had 
left the gate open, why he just ran up the road as 
fast as his little yellow legs could carry him. 

Little Gray Hen wanted to go to the party, now 
that she was half way there and there was nothing 
to do but to take Chicken Fluffy along, too. As 
they were talking and laughing and wondering what 
Mrs. White Duck would say when she saw all her old 
79 


In Storyland 


friends, Mr. Black Rabbit scampered out of the 
bushes. 

“O, I heard you say you were going to Little 
White Duckling’s party, and I want so much to go,” 
he said to them. “Won’t you take me with you?” 
It happened that only a few days before, Mrs. Yellow 
Cat had gone out to do some shopping and had left 
Little Yellow Kitten at home alone. 

Little Yellow Kitten would have been safe and 
sound had not Ned Smith, a bad boy who teased cats 
and kittens, been walking by Mrs. Yellow Cat’s 
house. Little Yellow Kitten was crying for her 
mother. Ned Smith poked his head inside the house 
and saw a little yellow ball on the floor. In less than 
a minute he had put the little yellow ball in his cap 
and was carrying the little bundle home. Poor Little 
Yellow Kitten was very much afraid in this strange 
place and meowed harder than ever. 

It happened that Mr. Black Rabbit was at that 
very moment going to the post-office to mail a letter 
80 


Little Gray Hen 

for Mrs. Black Rabbit and he saw Ned Smith carry- 
ing Little Yellow Kitten in his cap. 

“Hey, Ned!” screeched Mr. Black Rabbit in his 
loudest voice. “I know the finest spot of great big 
blackberries you ever saw in all your life.” “O show 
them to me quick,” exclaimed Ned, who liked black- 
berries better than anything in the whole world, and 
he dropped Little Yellow Kitten in the grass and 
ran after Mr. Black Rabbit. 

Now Mr. Black Rabbit showed Ned Smith the 
blackberry spot, and in less time than it takes to tell, 
he was back at the place where the poor little yellow 
ball was in the grass, crying harder than before. 
“Never fear, Little Yellow Kitten,” said Mr. Black 
Rabbit, “I will take you back to your mother and 
Ned won’t bother you again.” And true to his word, 
he took Little Yellow Kitten back to her mother. 

Of course Mrs. Yellow Cat would have to be kind 
to Mr. Black Rabbit after this, and so she told him 
to come along with them to the party. So off they 


81 


In Storyland 


went, laughing in high glee, Mrs. Gray Hen in front 
with Chicken Fluffy and Mrs. Yellow Cat, and Mr. 
Green Rooster walking in back with Mr. Black 
Rabbit. 

Soon they arrived at the home of Mrs. White Duck. 
Mrs. Yellow Cat explained that she had met the others 
on the road and thought that they would enjoy the 
birthday party and so she invited them. Then Mrs. 
White Duck said she was delighted to see them, and 
she was so sorry that Mr. White Duck could not be 
there to help entertain, but he had gone on a fishing 
trip with Mr. Gray Duck and Mr. Gray Duck’s 
cousin, Mr. Black Duck. 

Now it was late when Mrs. Gray Hen and the 
others arrived, so Mrs. White Duck said that they 
would sit right down and eat, as everybody must be 
hungry. So she called to Little White Duckling to 
come in from the pond where he and his playmates 
had been wading. 

But Little White Duckling always liked to wait 


82 


Little Gray Hen 

one more minute whenever his mother called him, and 
so he didn’t come at once but got up on a high rock 
just to show the other ducklings how fast he could 
climb. 

But just as he reached the top he slipped and went 
over backward into the pond and got O! so wet. 
Then Mrs. White Duck scolded him for spoiling his 
new white linen suit, and most of all for not mind- 
ing her when she called. But Little White Duck- 
ling’s grandmother hurried him into the house to put 
a dry suit on him and he soon came out looking as 
cute as ever. 

Of course Little White Duckling sat at the head 
of the table, since it was his party, and next to him 
was Chicken Fluffy and then came Mrs. Gray Hen, 
Mr. Black Rabbit and Mrs. White Duck came next, 
then Mrs. Yellow Cat and Mr. Green Rooster, and 
after them all the duck cousins and all the duck aunts 
and uncles and the little duckling friends of Little 
White Duckling. 


83 


In Storyland 


Everybody was hungry, so everybody ate sand- 
witches and cookies and cheese and cherries to their 
heart’s content. Then Mrs. White Duck brought in 
a great deep dish of the most delicious looking ice 
cream, and placed it in the middle of the table. Just 
as she was helping Mrs. Yellow Cat to a heaping 
dish of it, a rustle was heard in the bushes behind them, 
and out jumped — Mr. Brown Fox — the enemy of all 
the cats and the ducks, and the hens and the roosters 
and rabbits. 

Now everybody scampered and ran and disappeared 
quicker than you could shut one eye. Everybody 
went straight into Mrs. White Duck’s house and 
locked the door — everybody but poor little Gray Hen. 
She was scared almost out of her wits. But fright- 
ened as she was, she snatched up Chicken Fluffy in 
a jiffy and she ran and flew, and flew and ran all the 
way down the road — for she was sure that Mr. Brown 
Fox would follow — until she was safe in Farmer 
Jones’ farmyard. 


84 


Little Gray Hen 

Then she gathered together all the brown hens and 
gray hens and black hens and all the little chicks in 
the farmyard, and solemnly told them the awful story 
of Mr. Brown Fox and the birthday party at Mrs. 
White Duck’s. And all the gray hens and brown 
hens and black hens and all the little chicks in the 
farmyard made up their minds then and there, that 
Farmer Jones’ yard was good enough for them. 
And Little Gray Hen and Chicken Fluffy have never 
laid eyes on Mr. Brown Fox since. 


85 


JOHNNY CROSS 


His real name was not Johnny Cross, but he was 
called that because he was such a cross boy. When- 
ever anybody spoke to him, he always replied in an 
angry tone of voice, and he never smiled. When his 
mother or sisters asked him to help them he would not, 
but sat in a corner all day long and just sulked. 
None of the children in his neighborhood liked to 
play with him, and poor Johnny Cross was very un- 
happy. 

One day Johnny went for a walk in the woods. 
After he had walked for a long time he grew tired, 
and sat down under a tree. He felt so miserable that 
he soon began to cry. Before long a pretty red robin 
flew from a tree and alighted on the ground in front 
of the boy. 

“Dear Johnny Cross,” began the robin. This 


86 


“ JOHNNY CROSS ALONE IN THE WOODS.” 








Johnny Cross 


made Johnny sit up and stare hard, because nobody 
else ever talked to him like that. “I have been up 
in the tree top watching you,” went on the robin, 
“and when I saw you crying, I determined to come 
down and help you. Johnny Cross, look at me.” 
The boy obeyed. 

“You are crying because you have no friends. 
You have no friends because you do not wish for 
any,” continued the robin. “O, but I do,” inter- 
rupted Johnny. “O, but you don’t,” corrected Robin 
Redbreast. 

“Now listen to me. I want you to see what a silly 
boy you have been. Just because you have been 
called Johnny Cross is no reason that you will always 
be called Johnny Cross.” 

“But everybody calls me that, and I don’t like it,” 
answered the boy. “Yes, I know,” said Mr. Robin. 
“But now you are coming for a walk with me and I’m 
going to show you how people act who have lots of 
friends. When we return you’ll be a different boy.” 
87 


In Storyland 


Now, strange to say, Johnny didn’t get cross, or 
answer Mr. Robin in a harsh voice, but he listened 
carefully to every word the little creature said. 
Soon they started out on their walk. First of all they 
met Mr. Chipmunk. 

“Good morning, Mr. Chipmunk,” said the robin 
cheerily, “O, good morning,” answered the chipmunk, 
in a voice just as pleasant as the robin’s. “Mr. Chip- 
munk,” said Mr. Robin, “I have left some nice fat 
worms over in the field for Mrs. Robin and the baby 
Robins. I have some business to attend to now and 
cannot go for them. Would it be asking too much of 
you to carry them to my nest in the oak-tree?” 

“O, I’ll be only too glad to go,” replied Mr. Chip- 
munk quickly. “Mrs. Robin and the baby robins will 
have those nice fat worms before you can wink one 
eye.” And off scampered Mr. Chipmunk in the di- 
rection of the field. 

“Why!” gasped Johnny. “He was so willing to 
help you. I didn’t know that Mr. Chipmunk was so 
88 


Johnny Cross 

kind.” Mr. Robin didn’t say a word, but just smiled 
to himself. 

Next they met Mrs. Meadow Lark. “Good-day 
to you, Mrs. Meadow Lark,” cried Mr. Robin. 
“Come over and see us tomorrow. Mrs. Robin has 
some splendid ripe red cherries for you, and bring 
Mr. Meadow Lark so that he may carry them home.” 

“O, I shall be pleased to,” replied Mrs. Meadow 
Lark. “And when I go over I must carry some nice 
soft down that I found, so that Mrs. Robin can line 
the nest with it. It will be nice and soft for the baby 
robins to lie in.” 

“Thank you so much, Mrs. Meadow Lark,” said 
Mr. Robin, and with a sweet song he was on his way 
again. “I wish everybody wanted to help me the 
way these creatures in the woods help each other,” 
said Johnny Cross. 

“But you must start helping somebody else, and 
then people will help you,” replied Mr. Robin. 
Soon they saw Mr. Black Snake under a bush take- 


89 


In Story land 

ing a nap. “Somebody is tired today,” said Mr. 
Robin, and Mr. Snake opened his eyes and said, “Yes, 
I’ve just come back from a long walk through the 
woods. Mr. and Mrs. Striped Snake went away for 
the day, so I went over to take care of the little 
Snakes.” 

“Are you too tired to run over to Mr. Brown 
Thrush’s nest with these acorn cups, Mr. Black 
Snake?” asked Mr. Robin. “I promised them to 
Mrs. Brown Thrush last week, but I have been so 
busy I didn’t get over, and as she is giving a dinner 
party tonight, she really ought to have them right 
away.” 

“I’ll start right now,” answered Mr. Black Snake. 
“Mrs. Brown Thrush would be so disappointed if she 
didn’t have those acorn cups. Never fear, friend 
Robin, I’ll be over there in a jiffy.” And off he 
started on his errand. 

They had not gone far when they met Mrs. Gray 
Toad. “O Mr. Robin,” she called out, “I was just 


90 


Johnny Cross 

looking for you to ask you and Mrs. Robin and 
the baby robins over to our party next week. All 
the Brown Thrushes and the Meadow Larks are 
coming and we shall have a grand time. Won’t you 
come?” 

“We shall all be delighted,” replied Mr. Robin. 
“And by the way, Mrs. Gray Toad, will you bring 
some nice spring water over to Mrs. Meadow Lark’s 
tomorrow? The spring near their nest is dry, and 
the little meadow larks are thirsty.” 

“O, I’ll go right now,” answered Mrs. Gray Toad. 
“Those dear little Meadow Larks mustn’t be thirsty 
another minute.” And off hopped Mrs. Gray Toad 
to help the little meadow larks. 

Mr. Robin looked at the sun. “It’s nearly dinner 
time,” he said to Johnny Cross, “so we must turn 
back. And now what do you think of my friends 
in the woods?” “O,” said Johnny, “I never knew 
that creatures could be so kind to one another. 
Everybody seems to be waiting for a chance to help 


91 


In Storyland 

everybody else. And they are all so cheerful about 
helping.” 

“Yes, and that is just what you are going to do. 
And you’re going to begin this very minute,” Mr. 
Robin said. “When you speak to people be sure 
you speak pleasantly. Don’t be afraid to smile. 
And just see how many times in every hour of the 
day you can help somebody. I’m sure this will be 
a lesson to you, Johnny. I’m not going to call you 
Johnny Cross any more, because I know you’ve al- 
ready changed.” Then away flew Mr. Robin, sing- 
ing another song. 

So J ohnny went home smiling all the way. When 
he got home he chopped some wood for his mother, and 
brought in an armful of sticks into the house, whis- 
tling as he did so. Then he fixed his sister’s doll, 
which she was crying over. After that he went into 
the bam and made a fine kite for Ned Lee, the boy 
next door. 

And day after day, Johnny spent his time helping 


92 


Johnny Cross 


others. Soon he had as many friends as Mr. Robin, 
and he grew happier and happier. Of course every- 
body wondered at the change that had come over 
Johnny, but no one ever called him Johnny Cross 
again, because that could no longer be his name. 


93 


MORNINGDEW 


When fairies lived in this great world of ours, and 
witches and hobgoblins were found in plenty, there 
dwelt in a land across the sea a little girl whom the 
fairies had named Morningdew. 

She was a gentle, loving child, and was never known 
to say an unkind word to anyone. As she grew 
older she grew more and more beautiful, and soon 
she was noted as being the loveliest maiden in the 
land. 

Now it happened that there lived in this same land 
a princess, who was very fair, but not half as beauti- 
ful as Morningdew. When the princess heard of 
Morningdew’s beauty, she resolved to make the girl 
live in the palace as her servant. So she sent a mes- 
senger to the little cottage in which Morningdew 
lived, and said that the king wished to see her in the 
palace immediately. 

Morningdew dared not disobey the king, and so 


94 


Morningdew 

she hastened to find out why she was wanted. When 
she arrived the princess told her that it was the king’s 
command that she should work ever afterward in the 
kitchen of the palace. Morningdew knew now that 
she must do the hardest work of all the servants, 
but still she never uttered a word of complaint. 

The princess intended that such a beautiful girl 
must be hidden from sight, and so she was sent at once 
to the kitchen where she would be seen by no one but 
the servants. Morningdew at once set to work scrub- 
bing and cleaning and scouring. The cook, who was 
her superior, gave her many hard tasks, and treated 
her cruelly, often giving her very little to eat. 

Morningdew was made to dress in the poorest of 
clothes, and often she was cold, for want of warm 
clothing. One day the cook sent Morningdew to the 
stable to find the stableboy. As she was going 
through the yard she saw a man she thought must 
be a prince riding out of the stable on a coal black 
horse. 


95 


In Storyland 


He lifted his hat politely, and looked admiringly 
at the beautiful maiden. But Morningdew hurried 
on her errand and was soon back in the kitchen, work- 
ing hard. 

The next day the cook again sent Morningdew to 
the stable, and again the prince on his coal-black 
horse rode by and gazed at the girl. This time he 
spoke to the girl, but Morningdew ran quickly back 
to the kitchen, and so heard none of his words. 

At this time the king was giving a grand party, 
and every day there were races for the lords and 
ladies who had come to the palace to take part in the 
festivities. The king had offered a prize of a beau- 
tiful crown all set with rare jewels to the maiden 
whose horse should win the final race. 

All the ladies and princesses were going to try to 
win the race, and so each one chose the finest steed 
she could find. On the morning of the great race, 
Morningdew was scrubbing one of the floors, and at 


96 


Morningdew 

the same time listening to the cook and one of the 
maids talking about the race. 

Morningdew could ride horseback splendidly, for 
when she had lived at home, she had spent many hours 
in riding over the country, and there never was a 
horse that she dared not ride. 

As she was thinking of these things, a little fairy 
popped out of the pail of water that stood near her. 
“Morningdew,” she whispered, “I have come to you 
from the queen of the fairies. She has watched you 
all these days, and has been pleased with your willing- 
ness to do every task set before you. And now you 
are to take part in the king’s race today.” 

But Morningdew asked the fairy where she would 
get a horse and a riding habit. Take the coal-black 
horse in the stable,” the fairy answered. “It be- 
longs to the Black Prince, and no other steed can win* 
When you go to your room you will find your rid- 
ing clothes ready for you.” 

“But I must do my work,” said Morningdew. 
97 


In Storyland 


The fairy queen had prepared for this, and already 
there were a dozen tiny fairies moving about the 
room briskly, some scrubbing, and others setting 
things to rights. 

Then Momingdew went to her room and quickly 
arrayed herself in a splendid red habit which the 
fairies had left for her, and then she ran to the stable 
and found the stall in which the black horse stood. 

She hesitated a moment, because she disliked to 
take away the horse belonging to the prince who had 
treated her so kindly. But the fairy queen must be 
obeyed, and so she quickly mounted the beautiful 
creature, and was galloping away before anyone 
could see her. 

All those who were to take part in the race were 
waiting with their horses until the king gave the sig- 
nal to start. Everybody looked up in astonishment 
when the unknown maiden on the splendid black 
horse rode up to the king and asked if she might try 
for the gold crown. 


98 


Morningdew 

The king said that she might, as the contest was 
open to all, and so Morningdew took her place with 
the others. She wore a little hat and veil which hid 
her face from view, and the people wondered who 
the unknown princess could be. For surely, no one 
but a princess could ride like that ! 

Soon the king gave the signal to start, and off 
started fifty of the finest horses in the kingdom, and 
fifty of the fairest riders one could wish to see. And 
always the coal-black horse was in the lead, and finally, 
when the race was over, the unknown rider came to 
the king to claim her prize. 

Then the lords and ladies, and princes and prin- 
cesses gathered around the winner admiringly and 
the king asked the maiden who she was. “I was sent 
by the fairies,” was all that she answered, and with 
the crown safely held in her hands, she turned and 
galloped away on the black horse. 

Now the Black Prince had recognized his own steed 
in the race, and he wondered who the rider could have 
99 


In Story land 


been, and how she had come by his horse. When he 
returned to the palace he went out to the stable at 
once, but the coal-black horse was still there, and the 
stable boy said that no one had gone near the horse. 

That night the king gave a ball for his guests, and 
the king’s daughter, the princess, had on the most 
beautiful dress ever seen in the kingdom. She and 
the Black Prince often danced together, and every- 
body said he would soon marry the princess. 

But the Black Prince was not really enjoying him- 
self at all. He was wondering all the time who the 
maiden was who had ridden so finely and above all, 
who dared to take his horse from the stable without 
even asking him. Try as he would, he could not be- 
gin to understand it. 

He walked out of the palace and into the yard. 
Then he made his way toward the stable to see that 
his horse was still there. Whom should he see stand- 
ing by the horse’s side but Morningdew, the little 
kitchen maid! She looked very scared when she saw 


100 


Morningdew 

the Black Prince, and begged a thousand pardons for 
having taken his horse to enter the race. 

But he was delighted to find that the beautiful 
maiden and the unknown rider were one and the same, 
and then Morningdew told him how she happened to 
be at the palace. 

“But you must not stay here,” she said, “the prin- 
cess and the others will be waiting for you at the ball.” 

“The princess will never see me again,” he an- 
swered. And then the Black Prince and the un- 
known rider rode far away, and the king and his 
daughter never heard from Morningdew again, for 
she was now the Black Princess. 


101 


THE THREE ROADS 


Once upon a time a man whose name was Joel, 
started out to seek his fortune. He carried with 
him an axe, with which he might chop down trees 
to build a fire. He had no money, but. still he was 
not discouraged, for, he said to himself, “I shall travel 
all over the world, and not be content till I have 
found my fortune.” 

Joel had not gone far when he came to a place 
where three roads met. On one was a sign which 
read, “The road to the land of Work.” The second 
sign said, “The road to the land of Ease.” But the 
third road had no sign at all. 

The man looked carefully at the signs and finally 
decided that the road to the land of Ease was the 
one for him. So he walked and walked until at last 
102 



“THE THREE ROADS.” 


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The Three Roads 


he became very tired and sat down by the roadside to 
rest. 

Soon he saw a man coming toward him. “Good 
day, friend,’’ he said kindly to the man. But he 
only looked at Joel crossly and walked by. Then 
another man came by, and still another. But each 
went by as the first one had done, without noticing 
the man by the roadside. 

Finally a man came by who spoke to Joel and said, 
“I have lived in the land of Ease, and I was not con- 
tent. So now I shall try another road. Follow me, 
for sooner or later you will return.” 

Joel did not follow him at once, but sat thinking for 
a long time. At last he said to himself, “I will go 
back and try the road without a sign.” So back he 
went. When he came to the road without a sign 
he walked for a long time without meeting anyone. 
But after two days he met a weary traveller who said, 
“Do not go any farther. This is the road to the land 
of dreams, and when you get to the end of the road, 
103 * 


In Storyland 

there is nothing there but a great empty field.” 

With these words the man passed on. So J oel sat 
thinking very hard, and finally he turned around and 
made his way back once more to the place where the 
three roads met. He then started up the road whose 
sign said, “The road to the land of Work.” He had 
walked for only a few moments when he saw ahead 
of him a huge tree lying just across his path. 

The briers and bushes were so thick on both sides 
of the road that he had to chop them with his axe be- 
fore he could go on. For several hours he toiled 
with might and main and finally he was able to con- 
tinue. 

Now he came to a deep forest, where he also had 
to cut down trees and bushes in order to make way 
for himself. His task was so hard that he started 
many times to turn back, but always a voice seemed 
to say to him, “Do not give up.” And each time he 
would go ahead with new courage. 

When Joel had been walking for six days he came 


104 


The Three Roads 


to a very high mountain. It seemed to him so high 
that the top must surely touch the clouds. The road 
which he had taken led over the mountain, but the 
road was filled with rocks and tree stumps, and all 
sorts of things over which he had to climb. 

One day he went to a little broken down hut on 
the mountain side to ask for some water, for he was 
very thirsty. He knocked at the door and a feeble 
voice from within called out to him to enter. On 
opening the door, Joel saw a poor old man lying on a 
cot. He had been sick for a long time, and no one 
had come to help him. 

Now Joel had set out to seek his fortune, but since 
he was a kindhearted man, he told the old man that 
he would stay in the hut as long as he was needed. 

So he went about setting things to rights, and re- 
paired the windows and the door, which had been 
damaged by storms. Next he went into the woods 
and brought back some dry sticks with which to build 
a fire. 


105 


In Storyland 


He then prepared some food for the sick man, and 
helped him in many ways. The old man said his 
name was Gendo, and that he had lived on the moun- 
tain side for more than eighty years. When Gendo 
was well again, and able to be about, Joel said he 
must continue on his way to the end of the road. 

The old man whom he had helped so much was 
sorry when his strange friend said that he must leave 
the mountain hut, and he gave Joel a tiny box and 
a letter which he said must not be opened for a year. 

Then the two men bade each other goodbye, and 
Joel started on his way once more. The road was 
much easier to travel over now, and in three days he 
reached the top of the mountain. Then the road led 
down the other side of the mountain and into a little 
place where there were many people. 

Wherever Joel went everybody was working, O 
so hard! It was harvest time, and the men and the 
women and children all worked in the fields from 
morning till night. Joel asked a man what place he 


106 


The Three Roads 


was in, and the man, without looking up from his 
work, said: “This is the land of Work.” 

So Joel also went to work in the fields, and built 
himself a house to live in. And day after day he 
spent gathering in the corn and grain from the fields. 
Every minute of his time was taken up with work, 
and when he had finished his own, he helped his neigh- 
bors to do theirs. 

When Joel had been in the land of Work for a 
year, he thought of the letter which the old man on 
the mountain had given him. He opened the letter 
and to his great surprise found this message, 

“To the man, who in seeking his own fortune 
did not forget his fellow-man, I give my for- 
tune. 

Gendo, the rich miser.” 

Then Joel thought of the little silver key, and went 
back to the hut on the mountain side. In the hut all 
was still, and the old man was no longer there. 


107 


In Storyland 


But in the corner stood a large chest which the 
little silver key unlocked. And inside the chest there 
was so much gold that Joel could hardly believe it was 
real. Now most people would have taken the chest 
of gold and bought everything which they thought 
of, but Joel went right back to the land of Work, 
where he had lived so happily with the people, and 
shared his gold with them. 

He bought them tools and machinery with which 
they could do their farming more easily, and built 
new houses in place of those which had become old 
and worn. 

And in the long winter evenings, when he sat by 
the fireside, Joel never tired of telling the village 
children about his journey through “The Three 
Roads.” 


108 


MR. BROWN FOX, FLATTERER 


Mr. Brown Fox was walking along the road one 
summer day when he saw Miss Bumble Bee flying 
about among the flowers. “Good morning, pretty 
Miss Bumble Bee,” said Mr. Brown Fox in his pleas- 
antest tone. 

“Good morning, Mr. Brown Fox,” replied Miss 
Bumble Bee. Mr. Brown Fox stopped and inquired 
for all the folks, and asked Miss Bumble Bee if he 
might come to see her the next afternoon. 

In his own flattering way he said, “You know, my 
dear Miss Bumble Bee, that of all the creatures of the 
woods and fields, I enjoy your company most of all. 
You are so pretty and dainty and attractive.” And 
he said many more nice things which made Miss 
Bumble Bee smile to herself. 

Then she told Mr. Brown Fox that she would be 
at home the next afternoon and that she would be 
109 


In Storyland 


pleased to have him come and see her. Mr. Brown 
Fox seemed delighted to hear this, and made a very 
fine bow before Miss Bumble Bee, then bidding her 
good morning he started on his way down the road 
once more. 

As he walked along, he chuckled to himself. “Poor 
silly little Miss Bumble Bee,” he said. “She thinks 
that I mean everything I say to her. As if I, Mr. 
Brown Fox, the most splendid of all the forest crea- 
tures, would look at Miss Bumble Bee. Why, all 
the birds and animals of the forest bow down to me. 
And silly Miss Bee thinks that I — O how very simple 
she is!” 

But Miss Bumble Bee really wasn’t simple one bit. 
She could see very plainly and hear extremely well, 
and she hadn’t been flying about among the grass and 
flowers all summer without having learned things. 
And although Miss Bumble Bee didn’t do a great 
amount of talking, she was a splendid thinker. And 
just now she decided to do a little thinking. 


110 


Mr. Brown Fox , Flatterer 


She said to herself, “Poor conceited Mr. Brown 
Fox imagines that I desire his company very much. 
Now I have my doubts about Mr. Brown Fox’s com- 
pliments to me, and just to see what he is about, I’ll 
fly down the road after him.” 

So little Miss Bumble Bee brushed the pollen from 
the buttercups off her pretty wings, and flew in the 
same direction in which Mr. Brown Fox had gone a 
few minutes before. Soon she saw him walking a 
little way ahead. 

He held his head very high and every now and 
then he paused to brush the dust from his silky brown 
coat. He stopped suddenly and began to speak to 
someone. 

Miss Bumble Bee flew into a tree just above where 
Mr. Brown Fox stood. He was talking to Miss 
Wasp, Miss Bumble Bee’s cousin, and he was saying 
the very same words which he had spoken but a few 
minutes before to her. 

He even asked Miss Wasp if he might call on her 


111 


In Storyland 


the following afternoon, since he enjoyed her com- 
pany more than that of any one else. Now Miss 
Wasp was quite young and inexperienced, and she 
was quite excited over Mr. Brown Fox’s attentions. 

As soon as Mr. Fox went on his way again Miss 
Bumble Bee flew down from her hiding-place right 
over to where Miss Wasp was. “Dear cousin,” she 
began, “do not believe the foolish words Mr. Brown 
Fox has just been saying to you. He has that little 
speech learned by heart, and he says it to everyone 
he meets.” 

“O, no he doesn’t,” said little Miss Wasp, angrily. 

“But I know for a fact that he does,” said Miss 
Bumble Bee. “How do you happen to know so much 
about Mr. Brown Fox, anyway?” questioned Miss 
Wasp. “Well,” returned Miss Bumble Bee, “I 
don’t know so very much about him, but I do know 
that just before he came here he was paying me the 
very same compliments you just received, besides 
asking if he might call on me tomorrow afternoon. 


112 


Mr. Brown Fox , Flatterer 


Now do you still believe in your fine friend?” 

Little Miss Wasp soon began to see things in their 
true light, and it didn’t take her long to form a new 
opinion of Mr. Fox. “And if you are still in doubt,” 
went on shrewd Miss Bumble Bee, “brush the cob- 
webs off your wings and come with me. Let’s just 
see where Mr. Brown Fox is bound for now.” 

So the bee and the wasp flew down the road and 
across the meadow, till they came to the place where 
Mr. Brown Fox was talking to somebody else. 
There was tiny Miss Hornet, cousin of Miss Bumble 
Bee and Miss Wasp, listening to Mr. Fox’s pretty 
speeches. 

Sure enough, he said the same thing to Miss Hornet 
that he had said to Miss Bee and Miss Wasp. They 
were up in a tree listening to the conversation, and 
keeping quite still so that neither their cousin nor the 
flatterer could hear them. 

Just before Mr. Fox went he asked Miss Hornet if 
he might come to see her the next afternoon, as he 


113 


In Storyland 

enjoyed her company most of all. “Now I believe 
you, cousin Bumble Bee,” whispered little Miss Wasp. 
“Mr. Brown Fox is indeed a flatterer.” 

“A good name for him,” replied Miss Bumble Bee. 
“And he’s such a stupid fellow — he really isn’t bright 
enough to think of something different to say to each 
one. There he goes strutting off down the road. 
Let’s hurry and t-ell Miss Hornet what we know about 
him.” 

Off they hurried to see Miss Hornet. At first she 
could hardly believe that Mr. Brown Fox was a fraud, 
but her cousins were always truthful, and so she knew 
what they said must be so. 

“Well,” said Miss Bumble Bee, who was the oldest 
and wisest of the three, “something must be done to 
teach Mr. Brown Fox a lesson. We should take the 
conceit out of him before long. So they started plan- 
ning and thinking, and thinking and planning, and 
finally they thought of an idea. 

The plan was not carried out till the next day. 


114 


Mr. Brown Fox, Flatterer 


And very early, when very few of the forest crea- 
tures were awake, all the Bumble Bee cousins from 
miles around, and all the Wasp cousins and the 
Hornet cousins gathered together and went to Mr. 
Brown Fox’s house. There the proud creature lay 
snoring, little dreaming that anyone was near. 

Miss Bumble Bee gave the signal, and in less time 
than it takes to tell, haughty Mr. Brown Fox was 
completely covered with stings. His eyes and ears 
and nose and mouth were O! so different looking 
when the bumble bees and wasps and hornets flew 
away. And his splendid shiny brown coat! How 
changed that was too! 

About two weeks later, Miss Bumble Bee happened 
to pass by Mr. Brown Fox’s house. She looked in 
and said sweetly, “Good morning, Mr. Brown Fox.” 
But poor Mr. Brown Fox was somewhat indisposed, 
and only grunted a gruff good-morning. “I simply 
came to give you a little advice,” went on Miss Bumble 
Bee; “I only want to say that I hope you’ve learned a 


115 


In Storyland 


lesson. And I’m sorry your stings aren’t getting 
better more quickly. Why don’t you put some honey 
on them?” 

This was more than Mr. Brown Fox could stand, 
and in spite of his great pain, he jumped up and 
started to catch Miss Bumble Bee. But it was of no 
use — for she could fly, and he couldn’t. 


116 


THE ROSE FAIRY 


A fair little girl named Rosemary walked in a gar- 
den, one day, and saw there a bush upon which grew 
a single red rose. The flower, although still beauti- 
ful, was beginning to droop, and Rosemary said, 
“Since it has not rained for many days and nights, this 
lovely rose must soon die unless it gets a drink.” 

So off toward home the child ran, and soon came 
hack bringing a watering-pot, and being thus re- 
freshed with water, the red rose immediately became 
brighter. 

Rosemary thought it the most beautiful flower she 
had ever looked at, and she bent over and kissed it. 
Just at that instant a fairy appeared in the very mid- 
dle of the rose petals and she spoke to the child. 

“Dear, kind-hearted little Rosemary,” began the 
fairy, “today you have done something to make you 
117 


In Storyland 


loved by the fairies all over the world. That droop- 
ing red rose which you saved by giving it a drink is 
the Queen of the Roses, and I make my home among 
her petals. 

“I am called the Rose Fairy, and for your unself- 
ishness toward the Queen of the Roses, I shall give 
you a gift. It is to be one of two things : either wish 
for more gold than you can ever spend, or else wish 
that the Queen of the Roses, this rose you look at now, 
will bloom in your garden always — as long as you 
live.” 

Now Rosemary knew very little about gold, but 
she did know that the most beautiful thing she had 
ever seen was the rose before her. 

So she clapped her hands and jumped for joy, and 
said, “Dear Rose Fairy, I wish with all my heart for 
the Queen of the Roses to bloom in my garden, all the 
year round — spring, summer, autumn and winter.” 

But even while she stood there the fairy and the 
lovely red rose and the rose-bush all faded away from 


118 


The Rose Fairy 


sight until they finally disappeared, and the child was 
left alone in the garden. 

She ran home, crying because the rose was gone, 
but what was her surprise when she entered her own 
garden at home to see the same rose-bush, and the red 
rose, but more beautiful than before! It grew just 
outside the window of Rosemary’s room, and the child 
ran in to tell her mother of her visit to the strange 
garden. 

With so many things to tell, Rosemary forgot to 
tell her mother that the Rose Fairy had given her a 
choice of two wishes. She said simply that the fairy 
had given her a gift. 

It was not long before many people had heard of 
the beautiful red rose, and they came from far and 
near to see the strange flower. 

Winter came, and with it snow and ice, but they 
could not harm the lovely rose. One day as Rose- 
mary sat at her window watching the red rose, her 
mother entered the room. 


119 


In Storyland 

“I am so happy that I did not wish for gold,” said 
Rosemary, “for surely gold could never buy anything 
half so beautiful as my red rose.” 

“Whatever are you talking about, my child?” asked 
the mother. 

Then Rosemary told her mother that the Rose 
Fairy had also said she might wish for more gold than 
she could ever spend, but that the red rose had looked 
so beautiful, she preferred having it with her always 
to the gold about which the fairy spoke. 

“Foolish child,” cried the mother, “by this time we 
might be rich and happy, and, besides, gold can buy 
the most beautiful roses that grow. 

“Go to the red rose, the Queen of the Roses, go 
every day, and wish that the Rose Fairy may appear 
again. Should she come, say that you have changed 
your mind, and wish for gold.” 

Rosemary, now very unhappy, went out into the 
garden for many mornings, but she did not see the 
fairy. 


120 


The Rose Fairy 

Finally one morning, several months later, when 
the child was crying bitterly at the thought of some 
day losing the rose, she leaned over and kissed the 
rose, as she had done one day the summer before. 

“Dear child, why do you weep?” asked a sweet 
voice, and there right among the petals of the red rose 
was the Rose Fairy. 

Rosemary told the fairy about her mother’s wish. 
“You have done right in obeying your mother and 
coming to me ; but tell me, child, have you grown tired 
of the Queen of the Roses?” 

“No, no, dear fairy; I love her better than all the 
gold and riches in the world, hut it is my mother’s 
wish to be rich and have a fine house.” 

The Rose Fairy looked sad at this, but she said, 
“Go back to your mother, child; what she wishes shall 
come to pass.” 

Rosemary went sadly into the house, and her 
mother met her in the hall. But how strange every- 
thing looked! Each room was as large as a whole 


121 


In Storyland 

house, it seemed, and the chairs and cushions were of 
the softest velvets and silks. 

There were beautiful lamps and lovely paintings, 
and Rosemary’s mother was dressed in a new satin 
gown. 

“Come to your room, my dear, and put on your 
velvet dress, for you are now a rich little girl, and 
a cotton dress does not become my Rosemary 
now.” 

So the child went to her room, and she was delighted 
to see the beautiful bed of ivory and pretty chairs and 
dozens of books and games — in fact, everything a 
child could wish for. But when she looked out in the 
garden, and could see no rose, where it had bloomed 
for so long a time, poor little Rosemary was sad 
indeed. 

She put on her dress of velvet, and a handsome gold 
locket which was on her dresser, and then ran to her 
mother. There were so many beautiful things to 
look at, and many people visiting in their new home, 


122 


The Rose Fairy 

that for a time Rosemary did not think of the red 
rose. 

But in the morning Rosemary’s mother found her 
child in tears, and she knew that the child was think- 
ing of the red rose. 

“Cheer up, my darling child,” said the selfish 
mother, “today I shall buy for you many roses, and 
not one rose-bush, but one hundred, to be set out in 
your garden, under the window of your room.” 

And true to her promise, the mother ordered her 
servants to buy roses for every room in the house, and 
a hundred rose-bushes to be set out in the garden. 

The servants did as their mistress ordered, and soon 
they came to the house bringing the lovely flowers. 
Rosemary danced and sang, she was so very happy, 
but lo and behold! her gladness turned to sadness 
when she saw that the very instant the roses were 
brought into the house or the bushes set out in the 
garden the beautiful flowers died. 

Day after day, to please her daughter, the mother 


123 


In Storyland 


sent for fresh flowers, only to see them droop and die 
as the others had done. 

One day little Rosemary became very ill, and in her 
ravings she asked for the Queen of the Roses. The 
poor mother could not tell where the Queen of the 
Roses was, but one of the servants said that there was 
a witch over behind the hill who knew many things. 

The mother sent for the wise witch and asked her 
where she could find the Queen of the Roses, as Rose- 
mary called for her many times. 

The witch said she could not answer that question 
until she had seen the sick child. The mother then 
led the way to the child’s room. 

“Woe be to the one who sent the Queen of the Roses 
away from this child’s garden,” said the wise witch. 

The guilty mother said not a word but listened in- 
tently to the witch’s words. “Unless the red rose that 
grew in the garden shall be found, and this child shall 
inhale its perfume, she shall die before sunset to- 
morrow.” 


124 


The Rose Fairy 

Now the mother loved Rosemary dearly, but she 
loved gold very much. “My child must be saved at 
any price,” she said. “Dear witch, tell me how I may 
go about finding the red rose, Queen of Roses.” 

Then the witch shook her head knowingly and said, 
“Go over the hill till you come to the forest. At the 
entrance to the forest you will find a white horse. 
Ride on him through the forest; he will leave you at 
the door of the Fairy Queen’s castle. Tell her your 
story — but hasten, or you will be too late.” 

The witch disappeared that instant, and the mother, 
after kissing her child, went over the hill, and when 
she came to the forest, there, as the witch had said, 
was the white horse. He seemed to know the way, 
and after a very long time they arrived in front of 
the Fairy Queen’s castle. 

Now it happened that the queen of the fairies was 
visiting in another part of the country. Great was 
the poor mother’s grief when she heard this, and she 


125 


In Storyland 


feared that her child should die, and all because of the 
useless gold. 

But the queen’s lady-in-waiting said she would send 
her fleetest messenger, for only the fairy queen could 
tell of the whereabouts of the Rose Queen. 

All through the long night hours the woman waited, 
but the queen did not come. Morning came, and the 
afternoon, and still no word had come from either the 
queen or the messenger. 

It was late in the afternoon when the mother, who 
was now almost frantic with anxiety, heard the sound 
of horse’s hoofs on the castle walk. There was the 
queen’s coach, and she came quickly into the room and 
listened to the woman’s story. 

“Rosemary’s life is safe, my dear woman, but in the 
future do not believe that gold will make you happy. 
And now go back to your child, — your gold will no 
longer be yours — but in its stead, you will find other 
and greater riches.” 

Rosemary’s mother thanked the fairy queen, bowed 


126 


The Rose Fairy 


low before her, and, mounting the white horse in the 
castle yard, started homeward. 

On the way she wondered in what mysterious way 
the red rose would find its way into Rosemary’s room, 
but she trusted that the queen would find a way. 

J ust before sunset the mother arrived at home and 
hurried to her child’s room. Great was her joy upon 
finding Rosemary not in bed at all, but romping about 
the room — and at the open window a part of the rose- 
bush could be seen. And in the very middle of the 
rose petals was the Rose Fairy, laughing and talking 
to Rosemary. 

The mother was overjoyed, and so happy that for a 
long time she did not notice that they were in their 
simple home again. But in place of the beautiful 
house and so much gold that it could never be all spent, 
there was happy little Rosemary, and the Rose Fairy, 
who came every day to play with her. 


127 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT LEARNS A 
LESSON 


Little Black Rabbit was very fond of gingerbread 
dolls. These were really soft, brown, luscious pieces 
of gingerbread, but they were made into dolls just to 
please Little Black Rabbit, so his mother said, and she 
ought to know, because she made the gingerbread 
dolls. 

Whenever Little Black Rabbit was especially good 
his mother made gingerbread dolls, and usually that 
happened on Saturday morning. You may be sure 
that one little rabbit was on very good behavior on 
the day before Sunday — always. 

One Saturday morning when Mother Rabbit had 
baked some delicious apple pies, with a little apple 
turnover for her son, she began to make things ready 
for the gingerbread dolls. 

What was her surprise to find that the molasses 


128 


Little Black Rabbit Learns a Lesson 


jug was empty — not a drop was there! Now, you 
can’t make gingerbread or ginger cookies or ginger- 
bread dolls so that they’ll taste like themselves unless 
you have plenty of nice sticky brown molasses. 

What was poor Mrs. Rabbit to do? And what 
would poor Little Black Rabbit ever do without his 
usual Saturday morning treat? He had been the 
very best rabbit in the neighborhood for a whole week, 
and now he was greatly disappointed. 

All of a sudden he thought of something. “Mother 
Rabbit,” he said, “I just know I can roll that jug 
over and over till I come to the grocer’s, and then I’ll 
tell him that my mother wants some molasses, and to 
fill it up and put the stopper in very tight, and then 
I’ll just roll the jug back again, and we’ll have the 
gingerbread dolls after all!” 

But Mrs. Rabbit wasn’t quite sure that her son 
could be trusted on such an important errand. Of 
course, he knew his way to the store, and he could 
make change better than many big boys, and he could 


129 


In Storyland 


carry milk and sugar without dropping them, but 
Little Black Rabbit had one very bad fault. He 
sometimes forgot that his mother was in a hurry for 
things, and he loitered and played on the way instead 
of hurrying right home from the store. 

“Are you sure you can go to the store and come 
back without stopping even a minute on the way, my 
son?” asked Mrs. Rabbit. 

“Oh, I’m sure I can,” replied Little Black Rabbit, 
“and I’ll be back at home again before any one knows 
I’ve started.” 

“Very well, my dear,” said Mother Rabbit, and she 
gave her son the money and the jug for the molasses. 
Then she kissed him good-bye. 

Little Black Rabbit slipped the money into his 
pocket and started to roll the jug over the ground to 
the store. It was great fun to give it a push and then 
run after it and then push it again. 

It didn’t take very long to reach Mr. Brown’s store. 
Mr. Brown, the grocer, was a kind man, and he 


130 


Little Black Rabbit Learns a Lesson 


thought Little Black Rabbit was just the finest rabbit 
in town. 

So he filled up the molasses jug, and gave Little 
Black Rabbit a peppermint stick and then carried the 
jug as far as the door. 

Little Black Rabbit hurried down the road as he 
promised his mother he would do, and he was about 
halfway home when he saw some boys playing near by 
in a field. 

Now the boys were only playing ball, and wouldn’t 
have noticed the rabbit. But as it happened, the rab- 
bit noticed them, and over he went to the field, rolling 
the jug before him. 

He meant to stay just two minutes, for he did so 
like to see big boys play ball, and after that, Little 
Black Rabbit really meant to hurry home. 

So over and over he rolled the jug into the field, 
and he was nearly over to the place where the boys 
were, when bing! bang! splash! The jug crashed 
into a big rock, the molasses came pouring out and 


131 


In Storyland 


covered poor Little Black Rabbit from head to foot. 

What a sticky, brown, funny little creature he was! 
He couldn’t move an inch — he stuck to everything, 
and everything seemed to stick to him, so he just 
stayed there and cried and cried. 

Some of the boys in the field heard the noise and 
came rushing over. When they saw the sticky little 
rabbit and heard his story they felt sorry for him. 
They were near a brook, so they carried him into the 
water and washed as much of the molasses out of his 
eyes and mouth and ears as they possibly could. 
Then they tried to get it off his clothes, but this was 
very hard work. 

Being very kind boys, they made an armchair for 
Little Black Rabbit and soon he was home again, in 
his mother’s lap, sobbing as if his heart would break. 

He told his mother that never, never, as long as he 
lived, would he play on the way when sent on an er- 
rand, nor loiter even a tiny bit. 

Mother Rabbit kissed him gently, and said she 


132 


Little Black Rabbit Learns a Lesson 


knew that he had learned a lesson, and that she would 
trust him always. 

[But Mother Rabbit didn’t make gingerbread dolls 
for a long, long time. 


133 


A CHILD OF THE FOREST 


Girda, a very good boy, walked in the forest one 
day, carrying a little axe. Girda was called “A Child 
of the Forest” because he spent most of his time in 
the woods. He loved to talk to the birds and squirrels 
and all the creatures he met. He was kind to them 
all and they loved him much. 

On this day he saw a pine tree which he thought he 
would cut down. He chopped and hacked and cut 
with his axe and after a long time the tree fell over. 

From the trunk of it sprang a dwarf, who shook his 
fist at Girda and said, “Unkind boy, you have de- 
stroyed my home where I have lived in peace for one 
thousand years. Today you shall become a reindeer 
and run around the forest for years and years.” 

“And may I not see my father?” asked the poor 
child, half sick with fear. 

“I did not mean to destroy your home, but if you 


134 


A Child of the Forest 


will come to my father, who is a carpenter, I know he 
will build you a better home than you had,” said 
Girda. 

“You may not visit your father, cruel boy,” replied 
the dwarf, “and never again can you become a boy 
until you find a tree with a thousand branches.” 

In a few more minutes poor Girda looked at his feet 
and saw that he had been changed into a reindeer. 
He ran through the forest and soon he heard the re- 
port of a gun. 

Just a few yards from him stood a man with a gun 
pointed toward the reindeer. The man was his own 
father! So Girda ran over and told his father the 
strange thing that had happened. He also told his 
father that he must not go home again, for fear that 
something worse might happen to him. But the two 
planned to meet every morning in the forest. 

Day after day father and son met and talked in the 
forest, and wondered where they could find a tree with 
a thousand branches. 


135 


In Storyland 

One day a fairy appeared before them. She said, 
“Go to the queen of the fairies, O father of Girda, and 
ask for the tree with a thousand branches. Say that 
the birds and animals of the forest wish to repay 
Girda for his kindness to them, and that the dwarf 
must have the tree.” 

So off went Girda’s father to the queen of the 
fairies. She came to the door and told him that the 
tree with a thousand branches was in the next king- 
dom, and that it would take many days to get there. 
Girda’s father returned to the forest the next day, 
very much discouraged. When the reindeer arrived, 
the man told him what the queen had said. 

Just at that moment a little bird hopped down from 
a bush and said, “My cousin the robin lives in the tree 
with a thousand branches. He is a very wise robin 
and I will fly there at once and ask him what is to be 
done. He will surely think of a good way of helping 
you.” 

The next day the bird came again. “I have been to 
136 


A Child of the Forest 


see my cousin, and this is his plan,” he said. “Let us 
all three go to the eagle who lives near the dwarf, and 
ask him, the king of birds, to help the boy Girda who 
has always been so kind to all birds.” 

So the bird and Girda and his father all went to 
the eagle and told their story. The eagle flapped his 
mighty wings and said, “For many days I have 
watched Girda’s acts of gentleness toward the birds 
in the forest. One day he climbed a very high tree to 
return a baby robin to his mother. Another day he 
brought water to some little wrens dying of thirst. 
And again one day he hid a sling-shot with which 
some bad boys had planned to kill a helpless sparrow. 

“Tonight at twelve o’clock,” he continued, “meet 
me at the spot where Girda chopped down the dwarf’s 
tree.” And with that he flew away. 

That night at twelve o’clock they all met in the spot 
where they agreed to meet. The big eagle bade them 
all be very still. Soon the dwarf came walking by 
and lay down under a tree to sleep. 

137 


In Storyland 

In the twinkling of an eye the mighty eagle caught 
him up and flew with him far away, to the tree with a 
thousand branches. There he has lived to this day. 

At the same time Girda was changed from a rein- 
deer to a boy again, and his father, happy beyond 
words, gathered all the birds and creatures of the 
woods together to rejoice at Girda’s return. 


138 


THE KING AND THE PIG 


In years gone by there lived a mighty king, and, 
like most kings in those days, he was very rich. It 
seemed as if there could be no end to his fortune, to 
the number of servants waiting on him, and to the 
pleasures which were his. 

It happened one day that the king fancied that he 
would like to be rid of his servants and men in wait- 
ing, and all the splendor of his wonderful palace for 
just one whole day, so he planned to do a queer thing. 

He bade one of his men find him the clothes of a 
beggarman, and putting them on, the king strode out 
into the woods alone. Of course nobody recognized 
the king in the beggar’s rags. How strange it seemed 
to be passed by unnoticed! 

After walking through the country for a while, the 
king came to the bank of a river. It was a very 


139 


In Storyland 


muddy river, and the king said to himself, 4 ‘What a 
dirty, muddy river!” 

As he said this he poked some of the mud with a 
stick. Alas! the stick seemed to be pulled down into 
the mud, and the king along with it. 

Soon the king saw that a very large pig had the 
stick in his mouth, and there were the pig, the mighty 
king and the stick all splashing about in the mud. 

Knowing that he could not save himself in this 
dreadful place, the king cried for help. It seemed as 
if the pig lifted him up, so that his head was out of 
the mud. 

Just then the ugly pig spoke. “You would be 
saved, O beggarman!” he cried. “Now if you should 
die, nobody would be sorry or miss you, so I, the 
Magic Pig, will drop you down in the mud again, and 
so you must perish.” 

Nearly crazed with fear, the king, to whom life 
never seemed sweeter than at that moment, cried 
aloud, “O Magic Pig, this is but a disguise. In real- 


140 


The King and the Pig 

ity I am the king, as you will see by this ring which I 
wear. Only save my life, and anything you ask for 
will be yours.” 

So the pig looked at the ring, and made sure that 
no one but the king could wear a ring like that, then 
he spoke. 

“O king,” he said, “for many years I have lived in 
this muddy river. Many works of magic have I per- 
formed, but there is one thing for which I have wished 
all my life. It is within your power to grant me this 
wish now. 

“For the rest of my life I would sit beside you on 
your throne and wear garments and jewels like yours, 
and a crown. If these things are mine, your life shall 
be saved, otherwise I shall push you down again into 
the mud where you must die.” 

Now while the king was not ready to give up this 
world’s pleasures and die, he did wish that the Magic 
Pig would be satisfied with a large sum of money and 
a fine house to live in. How ridiculous it would be to 
141 


In Storyland 


even think of a pig sitting on a throne and wearing a 
crown and regal robes ! 

But being very wise, the king knew that the pig 
was in earnest, and so he said very solemnly, “O 
Magic Pig, I promise with all my heart to do the 
things you have asked.” 

A minute later the king was safe on the bank of 
the river, drying his clothes in the sun, and the Magic 
Pig was close by, grunting with great satisfaction, as 
he thought of the wonderful future before him as com- 
panion to the king. 

A few hours later it was time to start for the palace, 
and the king made sure that they traveled slowly, so 
that it might be dark when they arrived home. 

On the way back he was greatly disgusted when the 
pig spoke of being with the king for the rest of his 
life, but then the king said to himself, “I should be 
grateful for being alive, and sooner or later I’ll rid 
myself of this horrid creature.” 

Eventually they arrived at the palace, and of course 


142 


The King and the Pig 


the servants were greatly amused when they saw the 
dirty-looking beggarman and the dirtier-looking pig 
at his side. But before long the king, true to his 
promise, bade his men give the pig a bath, and fit him 
out in kingly robes and a crown. 

Before long the people in that country heard of 
their king’s strange companion, and they laughed and 
ridiculed the unhappy king. 

It happened that the king had an only daughter, a 
beautiful maiden, and she pleaded with her father to 
send away the ugly pig. But the pig could not be 
sent away. Nothing could make him give up his seat 
beside the king on the throne. 

Finally things grew so bad with the king that un- 
known to the Magic Pig, he offered half of his king- 
dom and his only daughter to the man who would get 
rid of the pig. 

So of course there were suitors from far and near, 
some bad, some good, but all eager to win both wealth 
and the princess. But no matter how hard they tried, 


143 


In Storyland 


they could not get rid of the pig, and no one seemed 
bright enough to think of a way of winning the two 
prizes which the king offered. 

One day a young man noted for his great wisdom 
came to the palace and asked to see the king. By this 
time the king was very tired of seeing strangers about 
his palace, and answering questions about the Magic 
Pig. However, he was so anxious to rid himself of 
his companion that he said he would see the stranger. 

“So you think you can give me my former happi- 
ness again?” asked the king. 

“I will rid you of the pig on one condition,” replied 
the young man. “I want neither your daughter nor 
your gold.” This seemed very remarkable to the 
king, but he promised that it should be as the wise 
young man wished. 

“Where did you find the pig, in the first place?” 
asked the stranger. 

The other answered, “Down at the river’s edge, in 
the mud.” 


144 


The King and the Pig 


“Let us all three go there at once,” said the young 
man. So the king and the Magic Pig and the wise 
man all went to the river’s bank. 

“This is where I used to live,” said the pig. “I 
could never return to this humble place again, for I 
shall have my home in the king’s palace as long as I 
live!” 

“Don’t be too sure of that,” said the wise young 
man, and at the same instant he pushed the pig into 
the deep mud. He told the king that the pig must 
stay there until another king fell into the mud and 
asked to be saved. 

When this had happened the king was overjoyed, 
and he asked the young man to come to the palace and 
dine with him. 

But a reward from the king he would not take — for 
he said even a very stupid man would know that the 
place the pig belonged was just where the king had 
first found him. 

That night when dinner was served at the palace 


145 


In Storyland 


the wise young man sat beside the princess. She was 
so beautiful that the stranger loved her at sight, and 
soon he confessed that he was a young prince from a 
far-off kingdom. 

The princess soon found out that the prince was the 
finest prince she had ever met, and she knew that she 
loved him dearly. 

The wise young man on his part decided not long 
after that he would take the princess for his reward, 
for even a wise young man is apt to change his mind. 


146 


THE SISTER WITCHES 


In the very heart of a great forest there was a small, 
queer-looking hut, and in this hut lived two queer- 
looking sisters who were said to be witches. 

People who lived near the forest dared not go by 
the hut when it was dark, for fear that some magic 
spell might be cast over them, and the children were 
told by their parents that if they weren’t good the 
witches would get them. 

Now nobody ever really knew that the sister witches 
had done any harm, but everybody had heard a story 
of some evil that the two had done. 

In that same land there lived a king, and it hap- 
pened that his daughter the princess was riding 
through the forest one day when she was lost, and 
before long her white horse made his way to the 
witches’ hut — and stopped at the door. 

The princess was a brave girl, and although she 
147 


In Storyland 


had heard many weird tales of the evil the witches 
could do, she jumped from her horse and knocked at 
the door of the hut. 

The door was opened by one of the witch sisters, 
who really didn’t look one bit like a witch. She 
smiled at the princess, and asked if she would come 
in and have some food and drink. 

The princess did this, and saw the other witch 
sister, who was also a kind-looking old lady, knitting 
by the fireside. 

“What a cozy little home you have, my dear ladies !” 
said the princess, looking around the tidy little hut. 

“My dear maid, you are the very first person that 
has stepped into our house since we came here thirty 
years ago. 

“Because we were alone and poor and had no fine 
clothes, and nobody knew who we were, somebody 
said we were witches, and since that time no one has 
come near our hut, but when we venture out, people 
shun us and think that we mean evil.” 


148 


The Sister Witches 


“I am sure such kind-looking ladies could never 
harm any one,” said the princess. 

“I just hate to go away,” she went on. “I wish I 
might always live in this hut, and see the trees and 
the flowers and the birds and just be happy all the day 
long. But alas! I am the king’s daughter, and it is 
for me to live in the palace and not be very happy 
because I am not free.” 

When the sisters heard that they were entertaining 
a real princess they were very much dismayed, for 
they thought that their home was far too humble for 
a king’s daughter to stay in — and what was more, to 
wish to live there. 

But the princess went on to say that she was lost in 
the woods, and that she must find her way home as 
soon as possible, as her father would be troubled be- 
cause of her absence. 

Just at that moment a great noise was heard out- 
side, and soon the door was opened and in came the 
king with twelve of the royal guard. 


149 


In Storyland 


Upon seeing his daughter with the two sisters, the 
king immediately imagined that they had bewitched 
her, so he ordered his soldiers to take the two witches 
to the dungeon in the palace and keep them in chains 
and watched at all times. 

This made the princess very unhappy, and she im- 
plored her father to listen to the story. But the king 
was so sure that they had stolen his daughter that he 
would not listen to reason. 

So they all started for the palace and the witches 
were placed in the dungeon. The next day the prin- 
cess went to her father and asked if he would free the 
two sisters who had been so kind to her. 

But her father would not listen to her pleadings. 
Then one day not long afterward the princess grew 
sick with a fever, and for days she lay raving and 
moaning in her bed. The court doctor said she must 
die, as she was very ill, and the poor king would not 
be comforted. 

On the day when the princess was expected to die 


150 


The Sister Witches 


one of the guards came to the king with a message 
from the witch sisters in their dungeon. 

They begged to be allowed to take care of the 
princess, and they said they had cured many children 
who had been sick with the fever in the days before 
they had come to the forest to live. 

At first the king would not hear of this, but finally 
he asked them to come to his daughter’s bed-chamber, 
and the two sisters began their work as nurses. 

It was not very long before the older sister sent a 
messenger to her hut in the woods to procure some 
herbs which she kept there. 

The messenger made great haste, and returned in 
a short time with the medicine, which was given to the 
sick princess. 

The next morning the princess was much better, 
and of course the king and the doctors felt sure that 
the sister witches had cast a spell over the sick maiden, 
and thus healed her. 

In a few days the princess was wholly cured, and 


151 


In Storyland 


she begged her father to let her faithful nurses stay 
with her always. 

But the king was fearful lest some harm should 
befall them, — with witches living at the palace, — and 
he would have given them some gold and sent them 
back to the forest. 

But the princess was persistent, and so she said to 
the king, “Dear father, I am sure that these two kind 
sisters are not cruel witches, but evil report has made 
them so. And I know they have never done harm to 
any one.” 

So the king sent word to the people in the country 
roundabout that any one who had been harmed by the 
sister witches should come to the palace and make it 
known. 

Several weeks passed by and nobody came to the 
palace to say that evil had befallen them through the 
witches. 

Still the king was not pleased to have the sisters 
152 


The Sister Witches 


live at the palace, because he did not like witches, even 
good witches. 

Then the princess said to her father, “I do not be- 
lieve that these sisters are witches. They are just 
two poor, friendless women. They have saved my 
life, and you are ungrateful.” 

Now the king loved his daughter with all his heart. 
In fact, he was a very good king in many ways, but 
he had one very bad fault. He believed many things 
he heard without first finding out if they were true. 

“The only one who could tell a witch is another 
witch,” said the princess. “Let us find a real witch 
and ask her who the sisters are.” So that very day 
an old witch who lived in that country was sent for, 
and came to the palace at the king’s bidding. 

When she saw the sister witches she said, “O fie! 
where are their broomsticks?” And she went on to 
relate that they were two good women who had been 
kind to every one at all times. Some one had started 
153 


In Storyland 


an evil report about the sisters and soon they were 
looked upon as bad witches. 

Then the real witch went away, leaving the young 
princess with her two kind friends. The king now 
ordered a great reception to be held for the two sis- 
ters, and invited them to live at the palace for the rest 
of their lives. 

Of course the princess was very happy, and every 
summer she spent much of her time in the little old 
hut in the forest with the two old ladies. 

The king was kind to the faithful sisters ever after- 
ward, and he never again believed evil of people with- 
out first finding out the truth. 


154 


THE MAGIC TOAD-STOOL 


Once a boy named Ezra wandered into the woods 
and saw a little toad-stool. He stooped to pick it, 
and what was his surprise to see it carried up into the 
air and Ezra along with it. 

As the toad-stool went up, Ezra noticed that it 
grew larger and larger, till finally it was the size of a 
very big umbrella. 

After flying in the air for many hours the toad-stool 
and Ezra alighted. They were in Fairyland! 

What a wonderful place it was ! Trees and flowers 
and birds and everything that was beautiful! Soon 
Ezra was seated at a table at the head of which sat the 
queen of the fairies. Around her were hundreds of 
fairies and elves, and Ezra was delighted to think that 
he was an honored guest. 

After the dinner was over the queen called the boy 


155 


In Storyland 


to her. “Would you like to live with us in Fairy- 
land?” she asked. 

“Yes, dear queen,” replied Ezra. 

“But if you become an elf you cannot become a 
mortal again for one hundred years,” said the fairy 
queen. But Ezra answered that he was so delighted 
with all he saw and heard that he would never again 
wish to be a mortal. 

So he became an elf and danced and played and 
waited on the queen all day long. All this was very 
fine, but one day he said to the queen, “You have not 
toys here such as I have played with. I wonder if I 
could go home and get my rocking-horse and gun and 
then come back again. And I think I’d like to see my 
mother, too.” 

But the queen replied, “We do not use the same 
toys as mortals do. You must remain here for one 
hundred years — then you may go home.” 

So the boy said nothing, but went on playing with 
the other elves. But all the time he grew more and 


156 


The Magic Toad-Stool 


more lonesome, and finally one day the queen found 
him near a tree, lying on the ground sobbing bitterly. 

“Dear child,” said the queen, “I will change my de- 
cree about your going home. I loved you and wanted 
you to stay with us in Fairyland, but I want you to 
go where you will be happy.” 

Before he had time to think, Ezra felt himself being 
carried down, down, down by the toad-stool, till once 
more he was home in his mother’s arms. 

Always after that the children whom Ezra knew 
never put their hands on a toad-stool, or picked one, 
for they said, “It might be the Magic Toad-Stool, and 
we might be taken to Fairyland as Ezra was.” 


157 


THREE MICE AND A PUSSY-CAT 


In an old bam lived three little mice, and they were 
as happy as ever mice could be, until one day a big 
pussy-cat came and made her home in the barn. 

Said the father mouse, “By hook or by crook, we 
must get rid of this pussy-cat, or she will eat every 
one of us up.” And the cat really watched her chance 
to make a meal on all three of the mice. 

One fine day the cat went out for a walk. Then 
the father mouse told his wife to stay in and take care 
of the baby mouse and be would surely find a way to 
get rid of the cat. 

He went very cautiously out into the yard, and 
there he saw a fine big bone which the cook had 
thrown out for the dog’s dinner. 

“If only I can get that bone into the barn,” said he, 
“I’m sure all will be well.” So he tugged and pushed 


158 


Three Mice and a Pussy-Cat 


until finally he got the bone right into the middle of a 
pile of hay where the cat made her home. 

The three mice were very still until they heard the 
cat coming home. In she came, and was almost in 
the hay, when she saw the big bone. 

Of course she was sure that the dog from the house 
had come to the bam to live. This frightened the 
pussy-cat so much that she went away and never again 
entered the barn. 

That night the mice family had a great rejoicing. 
“Because a mouse is small, it is no proof he isn’t wise,” 
chuckled father mouse. And the three mice were 
happy ever afterward. 


159 


THE PRINCE WHO LIVED IN A TREE 


Years ago there lived a king who loved gold so 
much that he sent his soldiers to steal it from other 
kings and from the people. 

This cruel king lived in a beautiful palace where he 
kept all the stolen gold in large sacks. 

At last the king had so much gold that he could no 
longer count it, so he placed a thousand soldiers 
around the palace to guard it. 

Now there was a great forest surrounding the pal- 
ace, and in this forest there was a very large oak tree, 
in which lived a young prince, who was called Prince 
Jan. The king had stolen Jan’s money and Prince 
Jan said he would live in the tree until he regained all 
of his gold. 

One dark cold night when the Prince was walking 
in the woods he heard a very tiny voice near by say- 


160 


The Prince Who Lived in a Tree 


ing, “Prince Jan, will you help me to find my way? 
I was going home, but I am on the wrong path. I 
am only a poor dwarf.” 

It happened that the dwarf lived many miles from 
the oak tree, and the prince, who knew every inch of 
the forest, would gladly show the dwarf his way home, 
but that night was to be a very busy night for the 
prince, for he was going to the palace to see if he could 
get some of the gold back which the cruel king had 
stolen from him. 

But Prince Jan was kind to every one and so he 
showed the dwarf the way home. When he started to 
turn about to return to his home in the oak tree the 
tiny dwarf said, “You have done a kind act for me 
tonight. Prince Jan, and so I am going to help you. 
Meet me at 12 o’clock this night at the back gate of 
the palace.” 

Late that night the prince stole cautiously out of 
the great forest and was at the king’s palace gate at 
just 12 o’clock. There were many soldiers on guard 


161 


In Storyland 

as usual, but the little dwarf who was waiting for J an 
said, “Follow me.” 

It seemed but a few seconds afterward that the 
dwarf had touched each soldier on the head with a 
magic wand, and each in turn had fallen to the ground 
in a deep sleep. 

Then the dwarf led the way into the palace. He 
touched the heads of the guards who were within the 
palace, and they too fell into a deep sleep. Then the 
prince and the dwarf went into the room where the 
sacks filled with gold were kept and they hunted 
around until they found three huge sacks which were 
marked “Prince Jan.” The prince was amazed to see 
the tiny dwarf touch these sacks with the magic wand 
and they immediately became so small that they could 
easily be placed in the prince’s coat pocket. 

Then silently they made their way out of the pal- 
ace, by rows of sleeping soldiers and back to the 
prince’s home in the tree. There they left the sacks 
of gold, which had become large once more. 


162 


The Prince Who Lived in a Tree 


Soon the dwarf said, “You have recovered your 
gold, Prince Jan, but what of the many people from 
whom the wicked king has stolen all? Will you come 
each night to the palace until we have regained all the 
stolen sacks?” Jan promised to do this, as many of 
the people were poor and were in want of food and 
clothing. 

“If only I can keep from losing my magic wand 
which the Fairy Queen has given me,” said the dwarf. 
“She has warned me that if I lose it then trouble will 
surely come — for when it slips out of my hand, then 
the soldiers will wake up, and it would not be well 
for us.” 

But Prince Jan was very brave, and said, “I’ll go 
with you until we have restored all the gold to the 
owners, and let us hope that the magic wand will not 
be lost.” 

So night after night the dwarf and the prince went 
to the palace and after the dwarf had put the soldiers 
to sleep with his magic wand, they would go into the 
163 


In Storyland 

palace and take out some of the gold which the king 
had stolen. 

Now of course the king missed some of his sacks of 
gold, but the soldiers could tell him nothing, for 
theirs was a magic sleep, and they didn’t even know 
they had been asleep. 

All went well with Prince Jan and the dwarf till 
one night they were going up the steps of the palace 
when alas! the magic wand slipped out of the dwarf’s 
hand and disappeared. 

Immediately all the soldiers in the palace and in the 
court yard were awakened and of course poor Prince 
Jan was taken before the king, who was very angry. 
“For this you shall die before the noon hour tomor- 
row,” he said. And he ordered his soldiers to place 
Jan in prison in the palace. 

Now the little dwarf was so tiny that he escaped un- 
noticed by the soldiers and he no sooner was safe out- 
side the palace gates than he began to make plans for 
saving Prince Jan from his dreadful fate. 


164 


The Prince Who Lived in a Tree 


The dwarf ran as fast as ever he could to the oak 
tree in the forest. The door was opened by a beauti- 
ful maiden who looked very much like a princess. 

Before the dwarf could recover from his surprise 
the girl spoke. “I am the Fairy Queen’s messenger,” 
she said, “and I have come to tell you how we may 
save Prince Jan — for so fine a young man must not 
die. He has made so many people happy by return- 
ing to them what the king had stolen that the Fairy 
Queen decrees that he shall live.” 

Then the princess, for she was really a princess, 
told the dwarf that the next morning he should get 
into a little bag which she carried in her hand and then 
they would set out together for the palace. 

“I can visit the king’s daughter,” she said, “and so 
we can walk around the palace yard and hunt for the 
magic wand. When I see it I will tell you. Then 
you must jump out of the bag and pick up the wand. 
Then touch every one as quickly as you can with the 
wand. I will lead you to the dungeon where the 


165 


In Storyland 

prince is imprisoned. You will also touch the guards 
there and I will seize the key to the prince’s cell and 
free him.” 

The dwarf did just as he was told; the princess saw 
the magic wand near the palace steps and told the 
dwarf, who in turn jumped out of the princess’ bag 
and put the soldiers to sleep. 

The princess then went to Prince Jan’s dungeon, 
and you can imagine his surprise when the door 
opened, and instead of the jailer who was to lead him 
forth to die, the prince saw the lovely maiden who 
had helped to save his life. 

So at noontime, after the king had been sent to 
prison in Jan’s place, the country people from far and 
near came to attend the wedding of Prince Jan and 
the beautiful princess. They lived happily for many 
years in the king’s palace, and in the forest near by 
in the big oak tree lived the tiny dwarf, whom Prince 
Jan made a prince. 


166 


THE RABBIT, THE FOX, AND THE 
SPIDER 


The rabbit and the spider lived near each other 
and they were very good friends. One day a fox 
wandered through the wood, and caught sight of the 
rabbit going into the rabbit’s house. 

Now the rabbit lived in a hole in the ground, and of 
course Mr. Fox tried to crawl into the hole and catch 
the rabbit. But he was too big, and so he began to 
plan some way of getting Mr. Rabbit to eat for his 
dinner. 

He thought it would be a splendid scheme to invite 
Mr. Rabbit out for a walk. So Mr. Fox went very 
near the rabbit’s house and said, “Mr. Rabbit, do come 
out for a stroll this fine morning. The air will do you 
good, and I’ll show you the way to a spot of fine rasp- 
berries.” 


167 


In Storyland 


Mr. Rabbit was extremely fond of raspberries, and 
so he said, “Wait just a minute, Mr. Fox, till I go 
over and ask Mr. Spider. Couldn’t he come with 

us?” 

The fox was willing, so they both went over to Mr. 
Spider’s house and invited him. He was delighted, 
and accepted their invitation at once. 

They started out, and had walked for a long time 
without finding any raspberries, so Mr. Spider said, 
“Mr. Fox, where are those fine raspberries you told 
us about?” 

And Mr. Rabbit said, “I’m really very hungry, and 
I could eat a whole quart of them.” 

But sly old Mr. Fox laughed and replied, “Oh, 
we’ll soon come to them. They grow quite near my 
home, and we can pick the berries and then go to my 
house for dinner.” 

Mr. Rabbit had never been in Mr. Fox’s house be- 
fore, but if he had been a wise rabbit he would have 
known that foxes eat rabbits. However, Mr. Rabbit 
168 


The Rabbit , the Fox , and the Spider 


thought Mr. Fox a charming companion, and he was 
delighted to be his guest at dinner. 

Now the spider, who was wiser by far than the rab- 
bit, suddenly saw through sly Mr. Fox’s scheme, and 
set to work planning to save Mr. Rabbit’s life and his 
own. He said to himself, “If I can succeed in warn- 
ing Mr. Rabbit, he can run for his life, while I, being 
small, will find it a very easy matter to hide.” 

But Mr. Fox stayed near all the time, and the 
spider couldn’t whisper one word to the rabbit. After 
a very long walk they all came to the raspberry spot. 
As Mr. Fox had said, they all thought it would be 
better to pick the berries and then eat them at Mr. 
Fox’s house. After they had collected a great many 
berries they started for the fox’s home. 

It didn’t take very long to reach there, and as all 
three were very hungry, they sat down to dinner im- 
mediately. Mr. Rabbit ate and ate; Mr. Spider, who 
was worrying, nibbled at a berry or two, but Mr. F ox 


169 


In Storyland 


ate almost nothing. For he was waiting for his 
chance to eat the poor rabbit. 

Little Mr. Spider knew that the fox would soon 
pounce on the rabbit and eat him up in the twinkling 
of an eye. So he set his wits to work and soon 
thought of a way to save Mr. Rabbit’s life. 

He said, “Mr. Fox, listen and I’ll tell you a great 
big wonderful secret. I know of a place where one 
of Farmer Brown’s hens has made her nest. It’s just 
outside the fence in back of the barn, and there are 
five fat chicks with the mother hen. If you, Mr. Fox, 
can walk as quietly as Mr. Rabbit and I can, I’ll show 
you the way as soon as it gets dark tonight.” 

Now chicken was Mr. Fox’s favorite food, and so 
he was greatly pleased to think that he would have five 
chickens and a rabbit for a meal. So he said, “What 
a splendid secret, friend Spider. Let us go as soon 
as it grows dark, but you must both come back and 
share the feast with me.” 

This the rabbit and the spider agreed to do, so when 
170 


The Rabbit , the Fox, and the Spider 

it grew dark the three set off in high glee to find 
Farmer Brown’s fence and the nest with the hen and 
the five fat little chicks. 

Mr. F ox, in his haste to get there first, walked very 
fast, and was soon ahead of the others. Then it was 
that the spider made the most of his time. 

“Oh, Mr. Rabbit,” he whispered, “that sly old fox is 
planning to eat you for his supper when we go back 
to his house. I am purposely leading him by your 
house so that you can escape. 

“When we come near your door, scamper as fast as 
ever you can, and I’ll follow.” The rabbit, scared 
half to death, had just time enough to thank his friend 
and promise to do as Mr. Spider had said, when Mr. 
Fox turned around and said, “What a grand feast 
we’ll have by and by with five chicks and plenty of 
raspberries !” 

And just as he said that they came to Mr. Rabbit’s 
house, and Mr. Rabbit didn’t lose much time in hop- 


171 


In Storyland 


ping through the doorway and little Mr. Spider fol- 
lowing close behind. 

Sly old Mr. Fox was so surprised he didn’t know 
where his companions had disappeared to, when Mr. 
Rabbit poked the tip of his nose outside the door and 
said, “You may feast on chickens and raspberries, 
Mr. Fox, but I’m afraid you’ll have to go elsewhere 
for a rabbit.” 

And with that Mr. Fox, outwitted again, went on 
his way, and Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Spider went in to 
laugh over their escape. 


172 


LAZY BOY 


Jack meant to be a good boy, but he was very lazy. 
He had to be called many times in the morning before 
he got up, and sometimes he would lie in the hammock 
and rest until he was late for dinner. 

Even when he came into the dining-room he was too 
lazy to push his chair over to the table to eat. 

Jack had a dog named Jip, and Jip was a very wise 
dog. One day he decided that he would teach his 
master a lesson. So he called a meeting of all the 
dogs and told them they must teach a certain boy to 
overcome laziness. 

So Jip invited Jack for a walk one afternoon, and 
soon they came to a field where there were dogs of all 
sizes and shapes and ages. 

Jack thought he had never seen so many dogs in all 
his life. He had been in the field but a few minutes 
when the leader of the dogs stood up. 


173 


In Storyland 


“We are here today to teach Lazy Boy a lesson,” he 
said. “He is a boy who means to be good, but he 
really doesn’t amount to anything because he is so 
lazy. Now who can think of a way of curing Lazy 
Boy?” 

Up stood a big shaggy dog and said, “Bow-wow! 
Let us put a collar on his neck and teach him how to 
bark and run and eat bones, and maybe he’ll wish he 
had never been lazy.” 

So sure enough, Jack was given a collar, and taught 
how to run and bark and eat bones, and then he was 
given a mirror to look in. 

Before long the dogs all went on their way, and 
Jack looked around to find Jip. But Jip wagged his 
tail and said, “You used to be a lazy boy, and didn’t 
take very good care of me. You were too lazy to 
open the door at night and let me in, and you were too 
lazy to give me any dinner, so now I’m looking for a 
new master.” 

Poor Jack now hung his head and walked around. 
174 


Lazy Boy 


He found his way to his old home and tried to go into 
the kitchen, but no one would let a strange dog in. 

Then he barked for some food and some one threw 
him a bone. He thought of the fine dinners which his 
mother cooked for him, and how often he kept dinner 
waiting because he was too lazy to walk into the house 
or push his chair toward the table. What a busy, in- 
dustrious boy he would be if only he could be a boy 
again instead of a dog. 

And all of a sudden he felt somebody shaking him. 
His mother was standing beside the hammock calling 
him in to dinner. O! how pleased Jack was to find 
out that it was all a dream, and that his own Jip was 
lying on the floor beside him. 

Jack ran into the house and helped his mother after 
eating dinner. From that time on he was busy every 
minute in the day, and Jack soon was as happy as 
any boy could ever be. 


THE END 


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